If that is really your definition of America, then you could take the founding documents and ideals of the founders to Zimbabwe, kick out Mugabe, and call that America.
Jim, America is so much more than that. It is our land, our history, our heritage, our language, our flag, the graves of our ancestors, our military traditions, the energy and ingenuity of our people, our legends and stories, good guys and bad guys. America is everything you mentioned and so very much more. Whatever happens, America will always be our country. That's what my quotation means.
Jim, you like so many others are caught up in the political hysteria that dominates the news these days. Throughout our history, in times of momentous events, people have declared that the sky is falling. The Civil War, the Great Depression, the World Wars, the darkest days of impending nuclear annhilation, all produced Chicken Little doomsayers. We survived them all, and emerged stronger than ever. Things seem bleak, hopeless and frightening to you now simply because you are living it. This, too, will pass. The current political situation in Washington is just a blip on the radar scope. We've survived much, much worse.
And as to those rights you fear the Federal government may take away from you, if you look back through history, the National government has always been the one institution that has not only protected, but expanded rights. Indeed, the expansion of rights includes things that would probably have shocked the Founders -- women's rights, minority rights, reproductive rights, disabled rights, homosexual rights -- the list of rights keeps on expanding, not decreasing. In fact, if you look back through the history of the Supreme Court, most of the cases involve attempts by state and local governments to restrict personal rights.
It is State and local government, not the Federal government, that enacts PC speech codes, that requires you to pay a tax to keep possession of your real and personal property, that restricts the use of your property, that restricts your right to keep and bear arms, that is the most abusive user of eminent domain, that enacted blue laws forbidding you to work, operate a business or buy goods on Sunday, that enacted Jim Crow laws, that denied negroes the right to vote through literacy tests and poll taxes, that forbids you from lighting up a stogie in the open air in a public park, established dry counties forbidding you the right to buy a bottle of wine, etc., etc., ad infinitum. State and local government, not the Federal government, is the creature to be wary of. Those who advocate states' rights should be careful what they wish for. Given the fact that whites are becoming a minority in this country, State and local government will eventually fall under the control of combinations of other ethnic groups, then Katy bar the door. You better pray that we still have a strong Supreme Court when that happens.
Do some more thinking about what America really is. And then ask yourself how anyone could refuse to pledge their allegiance to her, or advocate her dismemberment. I guess some people are just along for the ride, while the rest of us do everything we can to strengthen and sustain our beloved country.