Andrew Meyer, Dissent, and American Sheep

Dissent is Patriotic

The Andrew Meyer case has disturbed me greatly.  What disturbs me is the lack of perspective through which most people seem to be viewing what took place.  People who only saw an obnoxious person being disruptive and getting what he deserved have missed the point entirely.  Whatever Meyer's motives were, his actions were classic dissent. 

Dissent--the stuff that built the United States of America. 
Dissent--the quintessential act of patriotism. 
Dissent--freedom spreading its wings and demanding to fly. 

There was a time when people understood that dissent is the American way.  Unfortunately, now it's considered obnoxious, unpatriotic, and even treasonous in some quarters.  History has shown us that when government/authority turns a blind eye and a deaf ear to the will of the people that dissent is how Americans demand change.  One only has to look as far back as the events leading up to the War for Independence to find the facts that bear this out.  Our culture is now conditioned to hold dissent in disdain and that will the undoing of our freedom. 

Oscar Wilde said "Discontent is the first step in the progress of a man or a nation."  When the voice of dissent is silenced because the speaker is deemed to be a disruption, we are sacrificing progress in exchange for the status quo.  We have become a nation of sheep.

In 2006, Timothy Sexton of Associated Content wrote Dissent Built America; Why is it Considered Un-American Now?  It was relevant then and is even more so today.  I strongly recommend it as a good read.