Pause and Consider

Some thoughts to consider:

From Pres. Truman - 
"You know that being an American is more than a matter of where your parents came from. It is a belief that all men are created free and equal and that everyone deserves an even break.”

And an echo from Edward Snowden -
"Some say I'm a man without a country, but that's not true. America has always been an ideal, and though I'm far away, I've never felt as connected to it as I do now..." (written on the occasion of the first anniversary of the first publication of his NSA leaks;  it was first published by ACLU; the full statement can also be found here )

 We must keep finding ways to truly honor the ideals of America and the magic words of the Declaration of Independence.  We must continue to demand that our Constitution and Bill of Rights be honored.  These quotes remind us that "American" goes so much deeper than one's place of birth, residence, or even citizenship.  People all over the world long for these ideals, even though circumstances might make it hard for them to stand up for them.  We must continually remind our officials that not adhering to our ideals is unacceptable and also counterproductive. Revelations of NSA spying, ill treatment of protesters, horrible drone strikes, and more show that we are not practicing what we have been preaching. We must insist that America realign its actions in more positive directions.