The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution
sets down our right to peacefully assemble in protest of our government's
policies. When we exercise our rights, we help maintain our liberty.
When the Forest Service was founded, Congress intended that the public forests
be managed in a responsible manner and that the Forest Service be accountable
to the public. Today, however, the Forest Service violates federal laws
with only a minimum of restraint. It is patriotic for citizens to fight
to uphold the law. Citizens must demand that policy be formulated, legislation
written, and laws upheld according to the will of the American people, not
industrial special interests.
Patriotic action means different things to different people. Any time you
express your opinion directly to the person you seek to influence, you engage
in patriotic action. When you write a letter to your Congressperson, attend
a rally, boycott a consumer item, present a petition, pick up litter with
your neighbors, write a letter to the editor, or take part in a legal, peaceful
protest, you are engaging in patriotic action.
When you take a stand for something you believe in, when you speak out with
passion and knowledge, you cause others to reevaluate their own beliefs
about society and the world. When you take action, other people become inspired
to join you and to stand with you. And when many people stand together,
the strength of their voices grows exponentially, allowing them to create
change otherwise considered impossible.
Five years ago, most Americans thought that their National Forests were
protected from logging. This untruth has come to light because grassroots
activists have thrust forest issues into public debate.
The current forest protection debate was itself catalyzed by a handful of
peaceful protesters in the Pacific Northwest. Patriotic protests were used
to bring unprecedented attention to the fact the government was breaking
its covenant with the people and that a desperate ecological crisis was
going unnoticed. Even now, these activists continue to remind us of our
responsibility to the ecological needs of the ravaged Earth. Activists stretch
the limits of our imagination, allowing us to conceive of a vision for the
return of healthy forest ecosystems and a clean environment. TOP
