The Progressive Patriot Award

Politics Plus has introduced a Progressive Patriot Award, prefacing it with this passage from Henry David Thoreau:

The mass of men serve the state thus, not as men mainly, but as machines, with their bodies. They are the standing army, and the militia, jailers, constables, posse comitatus, etc. In most cases there is no free exercise whatever of the judgement or of the moral sense; but they put themselves on a level with wood and earth and stones; and wooden men can perhaps be manufactured that will serve the purpose as well. Such command no more respect than men of straw or a lump of dirt. They have the same sort of worth only as horses and dogs. Yet such as these even are commonly esteemed good citizens. Others -- as most legislators, politicians, lawyers, ministers, and office-holders -- serve the state chiefly with their heads; and, as the rarely make any moral distinctions, they are as likely to serve the devil, without intending it, as God. A very few -- as heroes, patriots, martyrs, reformers in the great sense, and men -- serve the state with their consciences also, and so necessarily resist it for the most part; and they are commonly treated as enemies by it.

Tomcat, the author of that blog, describes himself as "just a retreaded activist from the 1960s trying to defeat the Bush regime on day at a time and remove the GOP stanglehold on our nation." Well, I made noises back then but wasn't much of an activist; as for the rest, sounds like me in my own little corner here. Tomcat goes on to write:

So, progressive patriots are who serves the state with their consciences.

Politics Plus introduced the Progressive Patriot Award to honor bloggers with the courage to stand up and oppose those in power when they abuse that power to the detriment of the people and fight for progressive ideals, such as human rights, tolerance, non-aggression, freedom and equity. If you receive this award from me or another blogger, please do the following to accept it. Display the award graphic of your choice (or both) proudly in your sidebar. Copy this paragraph (more, if you wish) into a post on your blog. In that post, pass the award on to a minimum of three and a maximum of five deserving bloggers. If you receive the award from another blogger, reply to this message HERE with a comment including the name and URL of your blog and the identity and date of the blogger who awarded it to you. I will then add you to a special blogroll of Progressive Patriots here.

Fran, aka FranIAm, was awarded the Progressive Patriot Award by Tomcat and notified me that I had been tagged by her. She writes on at least two blogs. One is the blog for her parish and her personal one--Fran I Am--is mostly political and cultural and whatever pops up, with a wide range of readers, many (if not most) of them not being of a religious bent. She tossed in a preface for the non-religious in discussing this site:

Paul's Byzigenous Buddhapalian blog is truly progressive and patriotic. I am going to go out on a limb here and say a few things that I think must be said.

Perhaps I have linked to BB and you might first see one of Paul's passionate spiritual posts. And maybe you think "uh-oh" and then click away. I certainly hope not. As far as I can tell, like me, Paul has no need and no plans to convert you.

It would be a mistake to not pass over those posts and miss out on his excellent political writing. Very excellent political writing.

As if the Thursday Constitution blogging were not enough (although he was sick this week and did not post one) there are so many searing and intelligent posts, like this this one on FISA are excellent. FISA, torture, abuse of the Constitution, Paul is on the case.

Paul's fierce sense of justice, his great intellect and his deft understanding of politics combined with his great expression of said thoughts are what lead me to include him here.

Fran is feisty, sweet, brilliant, and fun. She is quite generous here. When she speaks of "searing and intelligent posts" she mostly is referring to the extensive cutting and pasting I do. I put very little commentary or analysis of my own into the political material (whereas the spiritual stuff is mostly my own and off the top of my head).

She is quite right that I feel no need or desire to convert anyone to my religious beliefs. I try to be true to who I am and what I believe without pushing it on anyone. Saw too much of that in my fundamentalist youth and loathe it.

Fran missed my sneaky Constitution post this week.

For newcomers:
I was never very political until 2004 when I felt passionately that our Constitution and the democracy base on it was at stake (along with a lot of other things). Thanks to Molly Ivins and Lou DuBose, I already knew enough about GWB back in 2000 to know he was very bad news, but in 2004 I began donating money and educating myself and making noise. I still read political news online on a daily and addictive basis. Readers here can obviously see that I share that at the BB.

If you are new to this site, you are most welcome. The mix here is eclectic and reflects my interests.

I might do a movie or theatre review now and then, or tell stories. Most of what I put up currently is either political or spiritual. I toss in information (my small effort to help form an educated electorate) and whimsy. Thursday Constitution Blogging got started one week and I try to put something about the Constitution in to remind us all about our foundational governmental document. I enjoy being silly. I also get cranky.

I make no apology for being rude toward the current resident of the White House as what I publish here is mild compared to my actual emotions about him, his cronies, and his co-conspirators in the destruction of America. (No, I am not a conspiracy theorist, but I do believe he is systematically dismantling our Constitutional government for the sake of power and enriching his ilk.)

Much of what shows up here is related to The Episcopal Church. That is the community in which I live out my faith. It is going through turbulent times and I care a lot about it.

This site is friendly to followers of many faith traditions and those who adhere to none.

I call myself a world citizen and believe that deeply. I love celebrating different countries when a new nation shows up on the list of places from which visitors come here.

Back to the award:
I am loathe to tag folks for almost any reason and usually decline altogether. I am going to name just one person who, from a bit of a distance, calls the government of the United States to account, holding it to its ideals: Padre Mickey, who blogs from Panamá and is a fellow blogswarm March 19 participant.

Amid the loving descriptions of the communities in which he and his wife, the Lovely Mona, participate, the whimsy and humor that especially shows up in elaborate Friday night presentations, and his erudite postings on early saints, Mickey also comments on the stupidity and evil coming out of DC. The politics show up only occasionally but they are strongly felt.

Thank you, Fran! Thanks to all who inform themselves, speak out, stand up, and fight back!
--the BB