Once upon a time in America one was reasonably safe to disagree with the actions of the sitting government; one could express one's opinion and as long as didn't incite riot or mayhem, one could be assured that the expression thereof would not result in being in danger of one's life, livelihood, home, or literal freedom.

I blogged last night that I come from a long line of defenders of America freedom.

We (my clan) got here because of a poltroon named Oliver Cromwell. My many times great-uncle was transported in the hold of a British warship in 1651 to Boston Harbor, and sold at the Boston Market Common as a LIFETIME indentured servant to punish him for 'seditious acts against the Crown.'

He served seven brutal years, and then escaped down Freedom Road to the Carolinas, where he established a free-hold, and raised a small band of men and women who dedicated themselves to two things-going home, and living free.

His blood runs through my veins.

My branch of the family are what could be called "Johnny come lates" as we did not arrive here until the late 1880's, when my great-grandfather and his wife came at the invitation of the Great Southern Railroad-Great-Granddad was an Edinburough and Hieldelburg educated civil engineer.

As an interesting sidebar, Great-Granma Sophie was pregnant with my grandfather Archie; she concealed her pregnancy to prevent Granpa 'Jock' (a nickname given him by irreverant English schoolmates) from leaving her behind. So my grandfather was born in America.

And BTW, my great-grandparents WERE NOT part of the Great Immigration-no Ellis Island for them...They had every intention of returning to Britain after the job was finished.

That said, I assure you, gentle reader, back in the Old Country, we were indeed quite proud of the works of our exiled cousins.

I come from a long, LONG line of men and women willing to give up our lives for ALL men and women's freedom. Somewhere in Kansas is a monument to members of that great-uncle's descendant branch who ran Underground Railroad Stations, and who lived and died in such a way, as have all members of our clan who stood in the breech and said-

"We will live free, or we will die in the defense of our right, and the right of all, to stand upright, and free."

There comes a time when prudence becomes cowardice.

I am no coward, and I will not shame those of my clan who fought, and died, (some of them, that I could, as my dear, late, and so greatly lamented Pop used to say, call a spade a spade,) by becoming a coward now.

Never ever did my great grandparents think they would end up leaving a branch of our clan here, and I know that both my grandfather and my dad hoped with all their hearts that they would die at 'home'-in Britain.

But my grandfather died here, and so did my dad, likely so will I.

Another BTW, a few days ago I blogged that my dad was third generation Californian, and I wish to correct that-I am third, not Pop. Sorry about that, I was thinking about my children, and in a hurry-never meant to give the wrong impression, and it has made me more careful...

But even if I should be so positioned that I do have the return trip, still I will stand in defense of this country in thought, word and deed, and so I will say to you:

This great country is in terrible danger-from within.

Now truly IS the time for good men to come to the aid of their party, and stand up against the great wrongs being committed here and abroad in the name of the people of the US.

The Enemy is seeking to divide us by causing class, racial, and religious divisions to weaken us that we cannot arise against this destruction; we MUST now work together against it or this country WILL fall, and become the nation Bush and his cronies want it to be, one of two classes only-MASTER and SLAVE.