THE QUESTIONS WE OUGHT TO ASK OURSELVES

1. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE PATRIOTIC?

2. IS PATRIOTISM GOOD?

3. WERE THE GERMAN NAZIS WHO MURDERED SIX MILLION JEWS DURING WORLD WAR II PATRIOTIC GERMANS?

4. FORMER VICE-PRESIDENT DICK CHENEY CALLED PATTY SHEEHAN AND HER FOLLOWERS UNPATRIOTIC TRAITORS WHO GAVE AIDE AND COMFORT TO ENEMIES OF THE UNITED STATES. PATTY WAS AN ANTI-WAR ACTIVIST WHOSE SON WAS KILLED IN THE IRAQ WAR. PATTY AND A GROUP OF FOLLOWERS PROTESTED THE IRAQ WAR ON A ROAD LEADING TO FORMER PRESIDENT BUSH'S AUSTIN TEXAS RANCH. WAS THE VICE-PRESIDENT RIGHT? WAS PATTY AN UNPATRIOTIC TRAITOR?

5. DOES PROTEST MAKE ONE UNPATRIOTIC?

6. ARE THE AMISH PATRIOTIC? IS THEIR WAY OF LIFE UNAMERICAN?

7. DOES THE AMISH LACK OF PATRIOTISM JUSTIFY THEIR BEING CALLED TRAITORS?

8. WHICH IS OF GREATER VALUE TO A COUNTRY: SECURITY OR LIBERTY?

9. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN WROTE: "They who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security, deserve neither liberty or security." ARE FRANKLIN'S WORDS OUTDATED?

10. DOES RELIGION BELONG IN AMERICAN POLITICS?

11. ARE THERE ANY RELIGIONS THAT SHOULD BE EXCLUDED FROM AMERICAN POLITICS?

12. DOES MAN POSSESS CERTAIN UNALIENABLE RIGHTS AS QUOTED IN THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE? (Life, Liberty & the Pursuit of Happiness)

13. CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING PASSAGE FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT BOOK OF LEVITICUS, CHAPTER 19 – VERSES 33 & 34: "When an alien resides with you in your land, do not molest him. You shall treat the alien who resides with you no differently than the natives born among you; have the same love for him as yourself… I, the Lord, am your God." WHAT DOES THAT SAY ABOUT TODAY'S IMMIGRATION DEBATE?

14. MANY AMERICANS THINK THAT WE SHOULD DECLARE AMERICA A CHRISTIAN NATION. SHOULD WE DITCH THE FIRST AMENDMENT TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN?

15. WHO DECIDES WHAT IS AND ISN'T MORAL?

16. HITLER TOLD THE GERMAN PEOPLE THAT IT WAS MORALLY JUST TO EXTERMINATE THE JEWS. WERE THOSE WHO BELIEVED HITLER'S ASSERTION AND FOLLOWED HIS ORDERS ACTING JUSTLY?

17. IMAGINE THAT YOU OWN A SUBWAY RESTAURANT. ARE THERE ANY CONDITIONS UNDER WHICH I'D BE JUSTIFIED IN BREAKING INTO YOUR RESTAURANT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT AND DESTROYING ALL YOUR FOOD?

18. WHAT IF I WAS MAD AT PRESIDENT OBAMA FOR TRYING TO REQUIRE EVERYBODY TO HAVE HEALTH INSURANCE. WOULD THAT JUSTIFY THE DESTRUCTION?

19. A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, MASSIVE RIOTS WERE STAGED IN A SUBURB OF LONDON. PROTESTORS THERE WERE MAD ABOUT POLICE OFFICERS SHOOTING AN UNARMED MAN. THE PROTESTERS LOOTED MANY BUSINESSES AND DESTROYED A LOT OF PRIVATE PROPERTY. IS IT MORALLY JUST FOR PROTESTERS WHO ARE ANGRY AT THE GOVERNMENT TO DESTROY PRIVATE PROPERTY AS A MEANS OF PROTEST?

20. IN 1773, A GROUP OF COLONISTS IN MASSACHUSETTS BOARDED A PRIVATE BOAT OWNED BY THE EAST INDIA TRADING COMPANY AND DUMPED ITS PRIVATELY OWNED CARGO OF TEA INTO THE BOSTON HARBOR. WE CALL THAT THE BOSTON TEA PARTY. WHY AREN'T WE DENOUNCING THOSE BANDITS AS COMMON THIEVES INSTEAD OF REVERING THEM AS GLORIFIED FREEDOM FIGHTERS? THEY WERE, AFTER ALL, DESTROYING PRIVATE PROPERTY!

21. ON SEPTEMBER 11, 2001, FOLLOWERS OF OSAMA BIN LADEN TOOK CLOSE TO 3,000 AMERICAN LIVES IN THEIR ATTACK ON AMERICAN SOIL. OVER THE PAST 11 YEARS, MORE THAN 20,000 AMERICAN CHILDREN HAVE BEEN KILLED IN THEIR OWN HOMES BY ABUSIVE FAMILY MEMBERS. THAT IS NEARLY SEVEN TIMES THE NUMBER KILLED ON SEPTEMBER 11TH AND FOUR TIMES THE NUMBER OF SOLDIERS KILLED IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN. IT IS ROUTINELY CLAIMED THAT AL QAIDA IS THE NUMBER ONE THREAT TO AMERICANS. IS THAT TRUE?

22. WHICH IS WORSE, TO ABORT A HUMAN FETUS OR TO STARVE A CHILD ONCE IT IS BORN?

23. WHICH IS WORSE, VOTING FOR A POLITICIAN WHO VOTES TO ALLOW HUMAN FETUS' TO BE ABORTED OR VOTING FOR A POLITICIAN WHO VOTES TO WITHHOLD FOOD AND ALLOW CHILDREN TO STARVE?

24. I'VE HEARD NUMEROUS VETERANS SAY THAT THEY WOULD DIE FOR THE AMERICAN FLAG AND THAT BURNING AN AMERICAN FLAG IS SACRILEGIOUS. IS THAT TRUE?

25. WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HAVING AN AMERICAN FLAG IN A CHRISTIAN CHURCH AND THE HEBREWS HAVING A GOLDEN CALF IN THEIR HOLY TENT IN THE DESERT?

26. WHAT DO YOU MEAN TO SAY WHEN YOU UTTER THE WORDS, “GOD BLESS AMERICA?”

27. WHERE DOES THE REST OF THE WORLD FIT INTO THAT REQUEST?

28. ARE AMERICANS EXCEPTIONAL? IF SO, IN WHAT WAY?

29. IF YOU FOUND A DIAMOND ENGAGEMENT RING THAT TURNED OUT TO BE WORTH SEVERAL THOUSAND DOLLARS AND THERE WERE NO MARKINGS ON THE RING INDICATING THE OWNER’S NAME, WHAT WOULD YOU DO WITH IT?