Beware the Ides of March...American Patriotism Lives

On this 15th day of March in 44 B.C. , Julius Caesar was stabbed to death in the senate house by a group of conspirators led by Cimber, Casca, Cassius, and Marcus Junius Brutus. A famous day in world history and memorialized in literature, two of the event's oft quoted phrases continue to permeate our speech today. "Beware the Ides of March," and "Et tu Brutus" remain as, respectively, a warning of great weight and an ultimate retort from one downed in defeat. Patriots all, one group decided Ceasar had gone too far and needed to be stopped.

Dr. Orly Taitz and Glenn Beck rocked our week on Friday the 13th with supreme acts of patriotism and courage. Like those Boston tea tossers and Roman senators, each has decided enough was enough, distinguishing themselves with mind blowing, gut wrenching, heart touching acts demonstrating to Americans and to the world that love of Country trumps all. They remind us by their actions that no sacrifice for their country is too great, especially in times like these, when so many transgressions against it and its Constitution are being perpetrated by so few, unbeknownst to so many.

Glenn Beck's The912 Project was nothing short of breathtaking, as the torrent of watchers flooded the site, shutting it down for many hours. Reminding us
who we are as Americans, what our priorities must be, and what we must do to preserve and protect the country we love, he and his guests touched our hearts with stories of love and caring for our country, families and friends.

Of particular note, and that with which I shall leave you this morning, is Dr. Orly Taitz's own account of her own
"Midnight Ride" from California to Idaho, to hear Chief Justice Roberts speak, and implore him to read the papers one of the SCOTUS clerks apparently refused to file and distribute in their entirety.
Contrary to the negative implications in an account by AP staff "reporter", Nicholas Geranios, Justice Roberts agreed to read the papers, which were accepted by one of Roberts's security people. Reading the scurrillous excuse for reporting filed by Geranios, which appeared, among other places, in the Seattlepi, blood and bile begin to rise as ignorance, derision and bias collaborate to discredit his entire piece. Having following this case and many others closely since their inception, I know that Geranios's account was such an inanity as to be laughable, while Taitz's passion, commitment and fortitude remain living testimony to the definition of an American patriot as much as the courage of our forefathers, our troops and our people. Cross posted below, with fervent thanks to Dr. Orly and her blog post is her account. Remember that this is the same Orly Taitz that drove 3 hours to stand in line for several more at a Scalia book signing in order to speak with him.
Et tu Brutus.
bwssnino

Patriotism + Passion = New Nation

Most of us grew up learning about the birth of our nation in school--brave words and deeds from passionate patriots so committed to their beliefs that they risked their lives and their property to declare independence from British rule and form a new nation, dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. [Declaration of Independence, T. Jefferson, 1776 http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/document/index.htm ] Of course, as we have evolved, women and people of all colors and creeds have come to be included in that phrase of equal protection, and women like Betsy Ross, Dolly Madison, Susan B. Anthony and Alice Paul have taken their place along with the founding fathers in our history.

The combination of patriotism and passion has always been forged in fire and, like the ever-enduring phoenix, rises again and again in times of trial to build a new nation or restore an old one.

The events of the last several years, culminating in the election of 2008 and the financial meltdown have taken a severe toll on our once proud nation but have also awakened the inherent patriotism and love of country in many Americans and they have come together to work for shared goals despite differences in ideology, party affiliation, religion, race, creed or social origin. For that is true patriotism: for the love of one's country to supercede all else, and make one willing to sacrifice to preserve and protect the laws, rights and constitution of the country one loves.

We await tomorrow's conference at the United States Supreme Court with baited breath--rarely, if ever, has the fate of our nation hung so much in the balance, with a constitutional crisis of such magnitude just inches from our heels. Tomorrow a vigil will be held on the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court as our nation waits and prays that those within will muster the courage and conviction to uphold the sacred tenets of our Constitution. These are indeed the times that try all of our souls, and raise the strength within us all to fight for our country and its nation of laws.

Rarely have we seen our country so besieged--not since the American Revolution have so many had their consciousness raised in such a way as to energize them to come to the aid of their country. But having been thus called, the Movement for the Love of Country continues to grow, and the goals for which we all work will again be realized.