Principle #8 - It is not un-American for me to disagree with authority or to share my personal opinion.

“In a free and republican government, you cannot restrain the voice of the multitude; every man will speak as he thinks, or more properly without thinking.” George Washington

You know...I've tried to sit down and write this one several times and have been having trouble coming up with something to say. Not because it's unimportant or that it's not a big issue, but because it's one of those things that we should've been taught growing up. We should have been taught that it is not only our right to express disagreement with those in power, but it is our responsibility as Americans to express our dissent. This is exactly how we became an independent nation to begin with. We became fed up with the actions of the English government and declared "Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it." If we bury our heads in the sand and allow our government to continue on unchecked by the governed, we are doomed to end up in the same type of oppressive situation we found ourselves in just 234 years ago. It is MY responsibility and it is YOUR responsibility as an American to speak out when those in authority step outside their bounds. It is also your responsibility and my responsibility to ensure everyone has the right to exercise that dissent. The founders of this country thought it so important that the ability to express your opinion was written into the Constitution as a protected right. It has also been the subject of countless lawsuits over the course of our history to ensure that right is not infringed upon. So why, if we make such a great effort to keep the government from stifling our ability to speak out and speak freely, would we allow our fellow citizens to stifle it?!? Keeping someone from speaking out only weakens our society by limiting the directions we can develop as a nation to the opinions of a select few. It is every individual's right to freely express their views, no matter how stupid or insightful they may be. Their arguments will stand or fall based on their merits. If you are someone who thinks any of the socialist or progressive ideals are good ideas, I think you're a babbling idiot and you probably think the same of me. That is perfectly fine, let the debate go on. I invite and encourage spirited debate. The facts will decide outcome, not who can shout the loudest or come up with the most creative put-down.