Letters

In response to Philip Katon’s letter:

Despite many similar struggles, the patriots of yesteryear are *vastly* different from those of today. Firstly, women are now *also* the heads of households, organizations, and communities. Second, the idea of patriotism is becoming quickly irrelevant: why should one fight for or promote one country – and its people – over another? We are thankfully so much better connected to all human struggles for self-determination and independence the world over, that borders have less meaning, and individual decisions, particularly in the consumer market, can have significantly destructive or productive effects on families and communities thousands of miles away.

Most importantly, however, it is not now, if it ever was, governments who should be most feared, but those with excessive power and money. Certainly that includes some in government, but it seems clear that currently, it is giant transnational corporations, beholden to no individual government, that wield the most power in global markets and our communities, and cause the most significant corruption of governments by undue influence of lawmaking for their own short-sighted, narrow goals.

It is not a patriots but global citizens who today hold the most important and noble role for countering oppression, slavery, economic injustice, and environmental destruction. We must work together to bolster our communities by supporting transparency and involvement in local governments and strengthening civic institutions, and doing everything we can to get corrupting money out of politics – a central issue affecting all others we care about from child poverty, education, to climate change. Represent.Us is a new organization promoting a worthy initiative on that front, The American Anti-Corruption Act, which looks promising and is worth supporting.

Government is neither inherently corrupt or good, but it’s an important mechanism for organizing society, and we’re lucky enough here to have a great framework for true democracy and progress. People, with a mind for their civic duty, can positively influence it – if we decide to work together.

Dave Nelson
Bend, OR

In response to both Katon’s and Nelson’s letters:

I believe it’s possible to learn valuable lessons from our nation’s history. We tend to mythologize to some extent the early days of our nation. I’ve been to Concord, MA and walked on the bridge over the Concord River where “the farmers stood, their flag unfurled, and fired the shot heard ’round the world.” It’s pretty cool, well worth the trip. There are both positive and negative examples to learn from in our history.

It is important to know that Washington and the Continental Army were at a stalemate with Cornwallis’ crack British regulars. Neither side had the strength to over come the other. If Washington made things too hot for Cornwallis in the mid-Atlantic he would simply bring in the British fleet, load up his army and sail back to NYC.

We would never have defeated the British, but for the timely help of the French Navy. After years of patient diplomacy by Ben Franklin the French fleet finally showed up and blockaded our shores so that the British fleet could not pick-up Cornwallis and his army, which Washington had managed to corner with their backs against the sea. Cornwallis had no choice but to surrender, thanks to the French blockade.

It was not our overwhelming military strength that got the French to come to our aid. It was the strength of our ideals, as articulated by Ben Franklin, that convinced them we were worth the risk. That, and they really liked pissing off the British – old family feud – long story.

Katon mentioned that the early American’s fought to avoid becoming slaves, but the British never threatened to put the entire nation in chains. They just wanted to milk the colonies for all the taxes they could. It took a bloody civil war for our nation to decide something that no one today would seriously question – that slavery is a crime against humanity. We have been blessed with many exceptional leaders, and we have been on the right side of many conflicts. It is also true that we have made grave mistakes, such as slavery, or the bombing of Dresden, to name only two.

People sometimes talk about the 2nd amendment as if owning a gun is enough to fend off tyranny. The real enemy of tyranny is not an assault weapon, but the free exchange of ideas.

Those who truly love freedom do not feel the need to threaten the lives and freedom of others with fire arms. There is no place for assault weapons in a civilian society. We got along just fine without them for over 200 years. Banning them and regulating gun ownership, in general, is no more a violation of the 2nd Amendment than not being able drive own your own tank through town, or fly around in your own B-1 bomber. No one’s life will be forever ruined if they can’t own a Bushmaster. However, no one will ever be able to return the children lost in CT to their parents, or restore those parents, whose lives can never never be made whole.

The real strength of our democracy is in the strength of our ideals. Nelson makes some good points about current threats to democracy, none of which can be successfully confronted with a semi-automatic and a high capacity clip. Those who believe that fire arms offer real security are indulging in fantasy, a delusion of power that does not actually exist.

The power to build, to create, to form partnerships, to work out solutions between people with different points of view, to communicate, to innovate – these are only a few of the real building blocks of freedom. If you look behind the words of Christ in the Beatitudes it is what we hold within our hearts that sustains us, seldom what we hold in our hands. One does not have to be a believer to grasp the idea that by standing for the freedom of others we enhance our own freedom. That idea is also embedded within His words “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.” It is the strength of our ideals that make us strong, that keep us free.

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2 Comments

Dave Nelson says:

January 10, 2013 at 10:21 am

In response to Philip Katon’s letter:

Despite many similar struggles, the patriots of yesteryear are *vastly* different from those of today. Firstly, women are now *also* the heads of households, organizations, and communities. Second, the idea of patriotism is becoming quickly irrelevant: why should one fight for or promote one country – and its people – over another? We are thankfully so much better connected to all human struggles for self-determination and independence the world over, that borders have less meaning, and individual decisions, particularly in the consumer market, can have significantly destructive or productive effects on families and communities thousands of miles away.

Most importantly, however, it is not now, if it ever was, governments who should be most feared, but those with excessive power and money. Certainly that includes some in government, but it seems clear that currently, it is giant transnational corporations, beholden to no individual government, that wield the most power in global markets and our communities, and cause the most significant corruption of governments by undue influence of lawmaking for their own short-sighted, narrow goals.

It is not a patriots but global citizens who today hold the most important and noble role for countering oppression, slavery, economic injustice, and environmental destruction. We must work together to bolster our communities by supporting transparency and involvement in local governments and strengthening civic institutions, and doing everything we can to get corrupting money out of politics – a central issue affecting all others we care about from child poverty, education, to climate change. Represent.Us is a new organization promoting a worthy initiative on that front, The American Anti-Corruption Act, which looks promising and is worth supporting.

Government is neither inherently corrupt or good, but it’s an important mechanism for organizing society, and we’re lucky enough here to have a great framework for true democracy and progress. People, with a mind for their civic duty, can positively influence it – if we decide to work together.

Dave Nelson
Bend, OR

Christopher Greco says:

January 18, 2013 at 9:42 pm

In response to both Katon’s and Nelson’s letters:

I believe it’s possible to learn valuable lessons from our nation’s history. We tend to mythologize to some extent the early days of our nation. I’ve been to Concord, MA and walked on the bridge over the Concord River where “the farmers stood, their flag unfurled, and fired the shot heard ’round the world.” It’s pretty cool, well worth the trip. There are both positive and negative examples to learn from in our history.

It is important to know that Washington and the Continental Army were at a stalemate with Cornwallis’ crack British regulars. Neither side had the strength to over come the other. If Washington made things too hot for Cornwallis in the mid-Atlantic he would simply bring in the British fleet, load up his army and sail back to NYC.

We would never have defeated the British, but for the timely help of the French Navy. After years of patient diplomacy by Ben Franklin the French fleet finally showed up and blockaded our shores so that the British fleet could not pick-up Cornwallis and his army, which Washington had managed to corner with their backs against the sea. Cornwallis had no choice but to surrender, thanks to the French blockade.

It was not our overwhelming military strength that got the French to come to our aid. It was the strength of our ideals, as articulated by Ben Franklin, that convinced them we were worth the risk. That, and they really liked pissing off the British – old family feud – long story.

Katon mentioned that the early American’s fought to avoid becoming slaves, but the British never threatened to put the entire nation in chains. They just wanted to milk the colonies for all the taxes they could. It took a bloody civil war for our nation to decide something that no one today would seriously question – that slavery is a crime against humanity. We have been blessed with many exceptional leaders, and we have been on the right side of many conflicts. It is also true that we have made grave mistakes, such as slavery, or the bombing of Dresden, to name only two.

People sometimes talk about the 2nd amendment as if owning a gun is enough to fend off tyranny. The real enemy of tyranny is not an assault weapon, but the free exchange of ideas.

Those who truly love freedom do not feel the need to threaten the lives and freedom of others with fire arms. There is no place for assault weapons in a civilian society. We got along just fine without them for over 200 years. Banning them and regulating gun ownership, in general, is no more a violation of the 2nd Amendment than not being able drive own your own tank through town, or fly around in your own B-1 bomber. No one’s life will be forever ruined if they can’t own a Bushmaster. However, no one will ever be able to return the children lost in CT to their parents, or restore those parents, whose lives can never never be made whole.

The real strength of our democracy is in the strength of our ideals. Nelson makes some good points about current threats to democracy, none of which can be successfully confronted with a semi-automatic and a high capacity clip. Those who believe that fire arms offer real security are indulging in fantasy, a delusion of power that does not actually exist.

The power to build, to create, to form partnerships, to work out solutions between people with different points of view, to communicate, to innovate – these are only a few of the real building blocks of freedom. If you look behind the words of Christ in the Beatitudes it is what we hold within our hearts that sustains us, seldom what we hold in our hands. One does not have to be a believer to grasp the idea that by standing for the freedom of others we enhance our own freedom. That idea is also embedded within His words “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.” It is the strength of our ideals that make us strong, that keep us free.