Dissent is patriotic

Dissent is one (if not the most) patriotic civic activity any citizen can engage. We should always speak truth to power. That is why freedom of speech is ranked so high in the U.S. Constitution. This is also why the Patriot Act is anything but patriotic in intent and outcome. I realize that Obama had never campaigned to overturn the Patriot Act but that was my hope and biggest disappointment that he has not. The actions of his administration, renewing of the Patriot Act, crackdowns on whistleblowers and pursuit of Julian Asante and Bradley Manning, bring to bear that any dissimilarity between his and the previous administration is only skin deep.