In an Independence Day interview with Newsmax, retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. Tony Shaffer said he's amazed that Americans are willing to give up their rights.
"It's amazing because the people who are the most willing to give up those rights and undermine our system are the ones who would be subjugated in any other system," Shaffer remarked on "Carl Higbie FRONTLINE."
"That's the grand irony. They would be the first to be subjugated," he continued.
"We are exceptional because we come here from other nations, and we become Americans. That's American exceptionalism. You can be as great as you want when you get here — and, well, get here legally, that is — too."
Shaffer said political leaders are detached from ordinary citizens' everyday experiences.
"So today, while [national security adviser] Jake Sullivan and [Secretary of State] Tony Blinken eat escargot and truffles, we're all having burger, brats, and dogs to celebrate the fact that we're going to stand up and do the right thing," he said.
Shaffer said we need to return to the Republic's foundational principles.
"We had a nation that rose from prosperity, from the idea of personal liberty. And — oh, by the way, Second Amendment — we are the militia. We are armed because we are the militia. It says so, and we need to celebrate that," he said.
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Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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