Recently I was tidying up my office when I noticed the dark green frame on my office wall. For some reason the not very attractive poster printed on not very attractive green paper that I put on the wall some five or six years ago pulled me out my native state of mental myopia. It
reads:
I still get chills every time I focus on this not so attractive flyer, and I know why I keep it on my wall. It’s because it reminds me of the evening that I met a very extraordinary man, a brave citizen, and a true patriot. I always knew that Daniel Ellsberg was a very extraordinary man, a brave citizen, and a true patriot. Anyone who was willing to provoke a presidency populated by some of the more creative criminals in American History was operating on a higher level than the impeachable majority to which I belong.
Meeting him in person, talking to him, looking into his face, speaking with him one-on-one impressed me like no history lesson, magazine article or news-bite could. Here was a man whose face, expressions and words were a harmonious expression of honesty, good conscience, and unbelievable personal courage. As he spoke, it was apparent that he was animated from deep within by an uncommon valor, selflessness and commitment to the values that underlie the greatest attributes of the American Constitution, freedom of speech and freedom of the press. Without these, there is no possibility of democratic government, and without brave men and women like Daniel Ellberg, these rights would wither under the blistering heat of combined abuses of power by the inevitably unconscionable people who inhabit our government offices.
He spoke eloquently and powerfully, without any trace of egotistical bravado, as he recounted in an calm, matter of fact way how the Nixon administration was trying to discredit him and later “remove” him from the political scene. Anyone with the fortitude and conviction to openly flaunt the likes of Nixon, Haldeman, Erlichman and their henchmen, is a hero and a patriot.
My thoughts quickly connected to the present: to missing Weapons of Mass Destruction, to billion dollar no-bid contracts, to 9 billion lost dollars in Iraq and it becames mournfully obvious that what this nation needs is patriots.
Daniel Ellsberg, former Marine and Cold War warrior, through his work, realized clearly that a grievous abuse of power was being perpetrated on a nation given to trusting its leaders. And unlike the vast and impeachable majority, he acted on his conscience for the good of his country and its grand constitution.
It seems to me that, once again, this nation needs patriots like Daniel Ellsberg.
Click on the link below to read more about Daniel Ellsberg.
Wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Ellsberg
