What A Miserable Coward!

Senator Pat Roberts (R-Kansas) made the following cowardly remark at yesterday’s Hayden confirmation hearings:

“I am a strong supporter of the First Amendment, the Fourth Amendment and civil liberties, but you have no civil liberties if you are dead.”

Senator Roberts, meet a true American Patriot, and weep because you will never be the man he was:

“Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!” — Patrick Henry

Another exemplar of an American Patriot also had pithy remarks for cowards such as yourself:

“Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety. “ — Benjamin Franklin

And of course, modern times yielded:

“There is nothing to fear but fear itself.” — Franklin D. Roosevelt

And then we have you; what a pathetic excuse for an American. To think our forefathers spilled their blood to protect this country, and you would give it away in a heartbeat for “security”. Let me tell you something; there is no such thing as “security”. Man can always find a way to harm his fellow man. To strip away our freedoms, voluntarily, makes me angry and sick, and should make you ashamed.

(Sorry, I was going to post something light today, but I read this nonsense and just couldn’t let it pass. Yes, the (dis)honorable Senator Roberts purports to represent Kansas, but even on local issues he doesn’t deliver.)

Two related quotes by very unrelated people:

When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will know peace. –Jimi Hendrix

We look forward to the time when the Power of Love will replace the Love of Power. Then will our world know the blessings of peace. –William E. Gladstone

The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts. - Bertrand Russell

Arrogant lips are unsuited to a fool– how much worse lying lips to a ruler - Proverbs 17:7 New International Bible

Do the following words ring true. On this 300th anniversary of the birth of one of our nation’s founding fathers, Ben Franklin, these words have more relevance to the future of our nation than perhaps at any other time since originally published.

They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.
Benjamin Franklin as quoted on a plaque at the Statue of Liberty

More important, to me, is the fact that by giving up liberties we actually cede to our enemies that which we’ve gone to war to protect so many times before. Well, that and the fact that violating the constitution has never proved an effective way to protect the constitution.