The Little Brown Reader: Patriot Act Finds Trouble in Texas

October 03, 2003

Patriot Act Finds Trouble in Texas

You can read a news story about the vote mentioned below -- Austin did indeed pass a resolution against the USA-PATRIOT Act -- here. There's also a pretty interesting local news video clip about the meeting here. The story aims to be a transcript of the video, though that's not fully the case. The U.S. Attorney who is interviewed sounded like he might have only read the beginning of the act, and then skipped the rest.

t r u t h o u t - William Rivers Pitt | Patriot Act Finds Trouble in Texas

[TruthOut] Editor's Note | The following remarks were delivered by William Rivers Pitt at a Town Hall meeting in Austin, Texas on Tuesday, September 16. The meeting was called on the eve of an historic vote; the capitol city of Texas is very near to joining hundreds of other American communities in passing a resolution that repudiates the Patriot Act.

Patriot Act Finds Trouble in Texas
By William Rivers Pitt
t r u t h o u t | Perspective

Monday 22 September 2003

I have listened to the defenses of the Patriot Act offered tonight. The essence of the defenses, the essence of the rebuttals to our reservations and complaints, is "Trust us. We're the government. We're the constitutional scholars. Trust us."

I've heard that before.

There are tons of mass destruction weapons in Iraq. Trust us. There are al Qaeda terrorists all over Iraq. Trust us. September 11 happened because of enemies who hate our freedoms. Trust us.

With all due respect, I say hell no. The one thing this government's behavior has not created is trust.

Ladies and gentlemen, I have come here today to appeal to your patriotism. We are all patriots here, every one of us. Let no one deny that or doubt that.

What are our duties as patriots? Is one a patriot if they fly the flag, to stand for the national anthem? Yes…and no. One may do these things and be filled with love of country, but if that is all you do, then you have not done enough. In this time, and in this place, and with all that is happening in this country and around the world, the duties of a patriot go far, far, far beyond flying the flag.

The duty of a patriot in this time and place is to ask questions, to demand answers, to understand where our nation is headed and why. If the answers you get do not suit you, or if they frighten you, or if they anger you, it is your duty as a patriot to dissent. Freedom does not begin with blind acceptance and with a flag. Freedom begins when you say 'No.'

That is how our freedom began 227 years ago. We said 'No.' Now, we must talk, and listen, and ask questions, and understand. If we do not like where we find ourselves, we must once again say 'No' with roaring voice, and without fear.

So let us, as patriots, speak tonight about the Patriot Act....

Full speech

Read It Rating: 8
Left/Right Rating: L2
Freedom Rating: 1.2
Learning Percentage: 15%

Posted by Lance Brown at October 3, 2003 03:12 PM | TrackBack

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