Welcome to my blog! I'm Victoria, and I love liberty, individual rights, and writing about politics, trials, and current events. Read more about me here.
"To announce that there must be no criticism of the president, right or wrong - is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American people." ~ Theodore Roosevelt
Shawn Stevens is in 7th grade at Dover Middle School, New Hampshire. He also has autism. And he loves his country…so much that he brought an American flag to school, which was given to him by a family friend whose son is about to serve in Afghanistan. School officials did not appreciate Shawn’s patriotism. They confiscated the flag, saying that it could be dangerous.
“This was a safety concern. It had nothing to do with the flag, it had to do with the size of the stick that the flag was on,” said the principal.
Shawn, I salute you for your patriotism! America (and the world) needs more kids like you.
Today is Independence Day, a day to celebrate America and the freedom that makes this country great. Freedom is something that we should never lose sight of, no matter the dangers or difficulties our country faces.
I believe that the video below fits the theme of Independence Day. This is an inspiring speech by state representative David Simpson of Texas, who (unsuccessfully, sadly) introduced a bill making intrusive pat-downs without reasonable suspicion illegal. The Fourth of July only comes once a year, but every day is Independence Day!
In honor of 9/11, I give you a truly magnificent speech by Ron Paul. He gave this speech on May 22, 2007 to address the erosion of our liberties, especially after 9/11, and the difference between blind obedience to government policies and true patriotism, which sometimes entails fighting back against government policies that destroy liberty.
“The original American patriots were those individuals brave enough to resist with force the oppressive power of King George. I accept the definition of patriotism as that effort to resist oppressive state power.
The true patriot is motivated by a sense of responsibility and out of self-interest for himself, his family, and the future of his country to resist government abuse of power. He rejects the notion that patriotism means obedience to the state. Resistance need not be violent, but the civil disobedience that might be required involves confrontation with the state and invites possible imprisonment.
Peaceful, nonviolent revolutions against tyranny have been every bit as successful as those involving military confrontation. Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., achieved great political successes by practicing nonviolence, and yet they suffered physically at the hands of the state. But whether the resistance against government tyrants is nonviolent or physically violent, the effort to overthrow state oppression qualifies as true patriotism.
True patriotism today has gotten a bad name, at least from the government and the press. Those who now challenge the unconstitutional methods of imposing an income tax on us, or force us to use a monetary system designed to serve the rich at the expense of the poor are routinely condemned. These American patriots are sadly looked down upon by many. They are never praised as champions of liberty as Gandhi and Martin Luther King have been.”
On Cinco de Mayo, two high school students in California wore American flag t-shirts to school. The principal told them to either take the shirts off or wear them inside out, calling them “incendiary.” Now the two boys and their parents are suing the school system, claiming that the school’s actions violated their constitutional rights:
Kendall and Joy Jones; John and Dianna Dariano, parents of Matthew Dariano; and Kurt and Julie Ann Fagerstrom, parents of Dominic Maciel, are asking a judge to rule that what happened May 5 at Live Oak violated the First and Fourteenth amendments, and that the school district’s policy regarding student speech is too vague.
The suit also asks for “nominal damages” and to award attorneys’ fees.
The Morgan Hill Unified School District, Live Oak Principal Nick Boden and Assistant Principal Miguel Rodriguez are named as the defendants.
Some people might call this lawsuit frivolous, but I think it has merit. No one should be banned from showing pride in their country, even during the holiday of another country. So many teenagers try to be cool and fit in at all costs that it’s a breath of fresh air to hear about teens showing their patriotism and standing up for what they believe in. It’s too bad that the Fourth of July doesn’t fall during the school year, because it would be interesting to see if the school allowed students to wear Mexican flag t-shirts on America’s holiday.
