I dont have to remind you that America was built on dissent.

Those wonderful dissenters who gathered in Philadelphia to forge the Declaration of Independence, were marked men, dead men, if captured by the British.

They were willing to pay the ultimate price to secure freedom, for themselves and for those who followed.

During wars, dissent is usually toned down, because unity is important. In a just cause, forbearing from discussing misgivings about the conflict can be useful, important to securing the greater good and ultimate peace, while denying encouragement to the enemy.

But once doubt reaches a certain threshold, once it becomes apparent that a government has been lying about its rationale for entering a war, or sustaining hostilities to perpetuate a ruse, then the time to dissent is upon us.

In the early 1960s, The Gulf of Tonkin incident was used, and many say was carefully choreographed, to justify a huge deployment of troops to Vietnam. We were attacked! President Johnson told Congress and the American people, and Our national security is at stake! was asserted.

A similar ruse has been orchestrated by Ws administration.

Ask yourself this question: Why must we remain in Iraq until 2009, or beyond?

Is it because Bush said so?

Given his mendacity, who can trust him?

His purpose for waging war was wrong. His methods for conducting the war and for nation building have been wrong. And his timetable for withdrawal is wrong.

Let your voice be heard now, and loudly, as we move toward midterm elections.

Remember, dissent is patriotic!