America is advanced citizenship

[NYadgal]

Posted: 4/6/08 at 8:22pm

"America isn't easy. America is advanced citizenship. You gotta want it bad, 'cause it's gonna put up a fight. It's gonna say "You want free speech? Let's see you acknowledge a man whose words make your blood boil, who's standing center stage and advocating at the top of his lungs that which you would spend a lifetime opposing at the top of yours. You want to claim this land as the land of the free? Then the symbol of your country can't just be a flag; the symbol also has to be one of its citizens exercising his right to burn that flag in protest. Show me that, defend that, celebrate that in your classrooms. Then, you can stand up and sing about the "land of the free" "


The comments in the threads about Charlton Heston reminded me of this quote from the movie 'American President'. It's a 'quote' that sticks with me, and contains ideas I give serious thought to.

I just thought I would share it today.

To see what others think. To see what (if any) kind of conversation it inspires.

Updated On: 4/6/08 at 08:22 PM

[LePetiteFromage]

Posted: 4/6/08 at 8:24pm

Updated On: 1/23/09 at 08:24 PM

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 4/6/08 at 8:39pm

It has now been dumbed down to a public school education - no matter how much money is poured into it.

[tazber]

Posted: 4/6/08 at 8:54pm

I find that many here understand that quote well NYadgal. Whenever that horrible Fred Phelps is discussed it is usually agreed that however repugnant and vile his "beliefs", he has a right to express them.

Or as Evelyn Beatrice Hall famously paraphrased Voltaire:
"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."

[madbrian]

Posted: 4/6/08 at 9:48pm

Love the quote, love the movie.

[Jane2]

Posted: 4/6/08 at 9:59pm

It's so true. There was a discussion on this topic in a thread in Feb. about removing that Jew watch site from Google.

Sometimes it's a hard pill to swallow, but we ARE all free to speak our minds.

[Taryn]

Posted: 4/7/08 at 12:32am

I wish Andrew Shepherd were my president.