What is an American?

Here is an only slightly less critical conservative viewpoint on the recent vote in San Francisco to ban military recruiters from public schools and colleges, than the brain-damaged Bill O'Reillys'.

"They passed by a 60% margin something called Measure I, dubbed "College Not Combat". It opposes the presence of military recruiters at public high schools and colleges. However, it would not ban the armed forces from seeking enlistees at city campuses, since THAT would put schools at risk of losing federal funding. Take the money; avoid the responsibility. It takes the pusillanimous approach of encouraging school authorities and outside weirdoes - eager to participate - to harass, insult and generally make life difficult for the people who make it possible for San Francisco to be such a pleasant place where bizarre people can congregate with impunity."

"to harass, insult and generally make life difficult", seems to be what this article is about, only towards the other side. It's ok to harrass and insult those that actively participate in opposing what they see as detrimental to their country, and as the title suggests, the author is doing no less than reviving the "UnAmerican" chant that has been so popular among the conservatives. I'm sorry but actively opposing what they consider as a bad government is very much "American". It's 'blind obedience' to authority that is truely 'UnAmerican'. This author, and those in agreement with him, would've been called 'Loyalists' in days gone by, and would have advocated British rule. Saying 'NO' to government is at the very heart of what it means to be an American.

Notice that even in light of that fact that most of the country dislikes the direction the administration has taken, the true-believers are still blaming Liberals for any desent. What about the original base that helped put Bush and Co. onto the throne? They are the ones that are finally seeing things for what they are, and taken approval ratings so low. I guess they're assumed to simply be duped by those unAmerican Liberals, and the Loyalists still hold out hope that they will fall back into line, so it's best not to offend them too, just yet.

And as far as keeping recruiters at city campuses for fear of losing federal funds, those funds belonged to them in the first place, and it just highlights one of the ways the government blackmails cities and states into compliance, when they aren't specifically mandated by law to follow orders.

"There is a place for dissent in America. But we have to dissent from the dissenters. What kind of mind set produces a measure like that? I am sure these guys hate the president. They oppose the war in Iraq. They probably dislike military culture and almost certainly got a hard time in gym class back in high school from guys with short haircuts."

Isn't that an, "Aww, you're just a bunch of sissys", insult? Such hypocracy runs all the way through this article. If you consider yourself living on the moral highground, is it right for you to practice what you accuse your opponants of doing? But then, that's current government policy these days, isn't it? Fight fire with fire (or even better, naplam), while still claiming moral superiority.

Every single war this Union has ever fought since it's founding, has included vocal and active desent. Why should this one be any different.