tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4777750410141759635.post-13046017010971227262008-02-23T01:16:00.000-05:002008-02-23T01:16:00.000-05:002008-02-23T01:16:00.000-05:00Since when does giving careful consideration to other’s opinions equate to being bullied into living up to their image of what we should be? Is the country, in fact, living up to its own identity claims? We seems to have become complacent about setting aside the constitution, international agreements, and a love of freedom because our fear tells us these things don’t work in a time of war. Could it not be that outsiders are pointing to some of the truths that the nation has, in practice, chosen to ignore? We claim separation of powers, yet the executive branch attempts to tell the judiciary what it can and can not hear. Were our own citizens were being denied access to courts and convicted over seas without seeing the evidence against them we would scream to the top of our lungs. If our own soldiers were being tortured for information we’d be building a list of war crimes charges to bring against our foes. If another government were in the practice of destroying documentation of its authorization of crimes we’d draft resolutions condemning its corruption.<BR/><BR/>I am disheartened by the notion that our nation’s economic status or monetary leadership trumps our actual need for integrity. To the Christians among our citizens I want to ask, is it wrong to admit that this “image problem” might actually have substance, or do we love the darkness more than the light? Are we ceasing to be introspective allowing our interests and actions to be dictated by the rule of fear rather than the rule of love which casts out fear?Kenny Davisnoreply@blogger.com