' ... In Sweet Land of Liberty, Francis S.
Fox emphasizes how a war in the name of freedom actually
restricted civil rights. Through biographies of ordinary men and
women from Northampton County, Pennsylvania, Fox highlights the
persecution of those who opposed the Revolution or tried to remain
neutral in the conflict. Each chapter introduces us to an individual
whom Fox paints either as an oppressor (usually county justices or
militia leaders) or a victim (mostly loyalists and conscientious
objectors). The book's best parts probe two sinister episodes in
Northampton County's wartime history: the systematic persecutions
of the small communities of Moravians and Mennonites. Believing
that war and oaths of allegiance led to damnation, these groups
refused to follow the dictates of either Pennsylvania's Test Act
(requiring citizens to swear their adherence to the 1776 Pennsylvania
Constitution) or the Militia Law (requiring Pennsylvanians to serve in
their county militia or pay a fine that went to pay soldiers and
purchase arms). Fox details how local patriots shattered a century of
religious tolerance by denying pacifists the right of conscience. '
historycooperative.org
'When a whole nation is roaring Patriotism at the top of its voice, I am fain to explore the cleanness of its hands and the purity of its heart.' - RW Emerson
'Mas si osare un extraño enemigo
profanar con su planta tu suelo,
piensa ¡oh patria querida! que el cielo
un soldado en cada hijo te dio ' - some national anthem
'true patriot love, in all thy sons command' - some other national anthem
..... wait, i forget, what was your point anyway? ... that only your One True Side could have patriots on it? ... gee i dunno about that, i don't think you'll convince quite everybody, any more than you've convinced us all that there are no souls other than US nationals in these Américas
But one correction here, no they were/are not 'worse than Osama', just too depressingly similar, too many of your 'patriots' |
