I don’t really require someone to buy into much to consider themselves a good American. As long as you accept our basic tenants of human liberty, and foundational principles of our nation, I’m pretty open to the idea that we may disagree, but we disagree as fellow Americans. But one of those foundational principles, I think has to be that the Declaration of Independence is the moral justification for this country’s entire being. If you don’t accept the Declaration, well, then we really aren’t anything more than some misguided subjects of the British Crown. You might be an American in the sense that you were born here, but pardon me if I don’t agree you’re a good American. Such is the case with some of our opponents:
I am having a really difficult time figuring out what is so controversial about what Herman Cain is saying. Here’s the video they are so roundly criticizing:
It seems to me that Cain is speaking of “alter and abolish” in the terms of our normal democratic process of putting our government up before the people every 2 to 4 years and the people deciding whether they want to keep it or toss it.
Pardon me, but if you can watch this segment here, and think Cain is calling for every member of that audience to take up arms, and March down to Washington, and overthrow the government, you not the ones that should be calling us paranoid. You are, in fact, delusional, or just very much out of touch with the kind of crowd Cain is speaking to.
I am also comfortable in saying that if you don’t believe that Americans have the power to “alter or abolish” their government, even if it’s through peaceful means, through the ballot box, and through the hearts and minds of fellow Americans, this isn’t the country for you to be living in. If the Declaration of Independence makes you uncomfortable, I am quite fine with saying you’re a poor American. I think some of our opponents need to think long and hard about which country they belong in.
My understanding of the context of “alter and abolish” is the Declaration effectively abolished England as the government of the united colonies. But of course, armed citizens were required to enforce that declaration. I suppose if we vote Obama out (alter our government) and in the unlilely event he refuses to go, a repair to citizen arms would once again be appropriate.
Oh, Noes! He opposes our socialist agenda! He said “Alter or Abolish!” He and Mike Vanderboegh are going to make machine guns out of toasters and start and INSURRECTION!!!!
Sometimes it doesn’t pay to read the gnashing and wailing of the certifiably insane this early in the morning.
And these Left-Wing “Progressive” fringe characters call us “Extremists”
More “Progressive” projection. I like it best when he insinuates pro-gun bloggers bully and make threats.
I think what really gets under my skin is what they are essentially arguing, by calling out Cain for this, is that we can’t speak about the Declaration of Independence, and how its principles apply to our political life today. In my mind that amounts to suggesting the Declaration is a radical and dangerous document, and has no bearing on modern political life.
To me that is a radical point of view, completely out of step with many Americans. I point this out because I want the public, even the non-gun owning public to know that our opponents aren’t ordinary Americans concerned about gun violence. They are radicals who are far out of touch with the values of most Americans.