The Slow Death of Dissent

Americans have this strange idea that the only people who are worth listening to are experts. More credence is given to doctors, lawyers, politicians, and news anchors. Year by year, the roots of our country have been covered over slowly. We forget that those involved in the War of independence were not all experts, they were just revolutionary. Normal, everyday Americans have created the Confederacy, the League of Women's voters, the Civil Rights Movement, and hundred of other campaigns to change America and help her grow.

A country's political identity is based on its philosophy, and ours is nearly indefinable. Our entire way of being is based on an ideal. We began as a nation of philosophers and from the Puritans who came seeking religious freedom to the immigrants who give up everything to be an American, one thing still remains - the dream. This has always been a land where those who were too conservative fell by the wayside and those who allowed themselves the freedom to dream prevailed.

While Democrats and Republicans compete over who is more patriotic, what Americans really need to know is who has stayed true to the dream, regardless of political party. Engaging in childish name-calling such as Ultra-Conservative and Left Wing Radical takes our focus away from the actual issue - without staying true to the dream, we cannot all get along. We have become a nation of extremists. Whether the subject is religion, politics, or chocolate, we all have a strong opinion, but we have forgotten about the facts.

It is the fault of the average American that we have a corrupt and immobile government because we allow it to exist. We overlook the indiscretion of politicians. We expect our news media to be contextually accurate and non-biased. Many Americans feel they are not represented and they are not wrong, but without more involvement by average Americans we cannot expect a higher standard of government. The Majority Rule system is not working but those in power see no reason to change it. They're paid well whether the system works or not.

More and more people are choosing to ignore their government. This will allow the system to get worse until someone cries "REVOLUTION", and then we'll all be damned. Rules, both spoken and unspoken are being imposed on those who disagree with our government. The definition of freedom has been twisted and redefined by lesser men than our Forefathers had hoped.

We cannot give up control. More importantly, we cannot allow ourselves to become the tyranny we escaped when our Forefathers wrote the Declaration of independence. We must take a stand, any stand, and fight, before our countrymen start fleeing America for a place where they can remember their dreams.