Eyes Wide Open

Words do have power. The power of ideas. I'll end this day with some final thoughts.

First, there is Lincoln, who in 1838 said of the future of democratic institutions in America,

"At what point then is the approach of danger to be expected? I answer, if it ever reach us, it must spring up amongst us. It cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide."

Today Digby notes with hope,

But, there is one thing that has been present from the very beginning and it's the thing that has saved us and will continue to save us. It is the freedom of speech. It often comes under siege during war and from the beginning there has been tension about what level of dissent was acceptable. But perhaps because we were a country formed out of a revolution, there is always a surprisingly strong attachment in the body politic to tolerance of free speech, even if it doesn't feel like it at the time.

The United States can only be destroyed from within. Look at the authors of that destruction.

Rove, on the other hand, is a U.S. citizen and, as deputy White House chief of staff, a high-ranking official of the U.S. government sworn to uphold and defend our nation, its laws and its interests. Yet he sold out America just to get even with Joe Wilson.

As long as speech is free and dissent is possible, American will be free. When men like Karl Rove and George Bush attempt to stifle free speech and honest dissent, Americans loose a little piece of their freedom. Freedom born of great ideas and human suffering.

Happy 4th of July.