Patriots Act: Voices Of Dissent And The Risk of Speaking Out

by Bill Katovsky

America was born, grew, and matured on the broad shoulders of dissent. But following 9/11 the nation was forced to redefine the delicate balance between the competing interests of freedom and security, patriotism and protest, war and peace. Many claim that the Constitution is under siege. The 2004 presidential election showed just how divided our country has become-in both politics and culture. Democracy is being put to the ultimate test. unAmerican is an oral-history examination of the human cost of rebellion-of what it genuinely means to take an unpopular stand. The individuals presented in Un-American risked their own lives, careers, or even jail time by defending a principle or cause. Not surprisingly, they were often labeled un-American by their opponents, despite being our country''s true patriots. Among the book''s thirty interviews are these outspoken and highly principled

Mort Legendary inventor of political comedy, his stand-up career, which began in the Eisenhower ''50s, continues today as he skewers both the Right and the Left.

Lowell Former 60 Minutes television producer who broke open the lethal secrets of the tobacco industry, subject of the subsequent film called The Insider, and winner of the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for a series in The New York Times called "Dangerous Business," about lethal working conditions in North American industries.

Kathy Catholic activist from Chicago who has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for her humanitarian work in Iraq and nonviolent civil disobedience protesting United States nuclear weapons and military facilities (serving time in federal prison for the latter).

Max Vietnam veteran who lost three limbs in the war, and was later named director of the Veterans Administration; he also served in the U.S. Senate until losing a bitter reelection bid when his Georgian opponent accused him of being unpatriotic for voting against a Homeland Security bill.

Randi The popular radio talk show host for Air America is the blue-collar Democrat''s answer to Rush Limbaugh, Bill O''Reilly, and Sean Hannity.

Rand Former top counterterrorism adviser in the Bush White House who resigned just days before the Iraq War to protest how the Administration''s fight against terror was being waged.

Paul Popular op-ed columnist for The New York Times , the Princeton economist has been labeled by conservatives as "America''s Most Dangerous Liberal Pundit."

Genres: Nonfiction

322 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 2006

Reviews

[Joan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having had a rough time of life during the Bush years, I picked this book up to kind of educate myself on how those years affected us. It was kind of what I expected, ie, people who are activists recounting what their lives have been like up until 10 years ago or so, when this book came out. I actually thought the essay about two regular people (Jeff and Nicole Rank) who protested during a Bush speech were the most interesting, maybe because it directly quoted them. It felt like a time capsule of how regular activists were treated.

Reading this book, I thought a lot about protesting and though while we laud it, maybe it's hard being the ones protested against, because they have their viewpoints as well. I remember during the 2012 election, there was a high school girl who wore a Mitt Romney T shirt to school and everyone was against it. Well, there were some rallies for her because of that. We have to remember that it goes both ways.

But I did read the book cover to cover and was interested in what people had to say. I just wish there were some Republicans voicing their opinions too.

[Donald Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Each interview in Patriots Act traces its own narrative arc. The cumulative effect of these oral histories embodies what is best about our national character. It also shows why it's important to stand vigilant against those who wrap themselves so tightly in our nation's flag that they can neither see nor hear what others are actually saying." Although this deals with issues we are currently facing in increasing intensity, I have put it aside for other projects for now.

[Richard Thompson · Rating 2 out of 5]

A collection of oral history accounts of people who have taken risks and resisted government and social sanctions to carry out (or to refuse to carry out) actions that were counter to their moral or ethical code. Many of the stories could have used a lot more editing. Some were not convincing as acts of patriotism. A few stories were quite interesting and compelling… the Ruckus Society guy. But in the end a bit of a struggle to get through.