Thinking about other meanings of Independence Day

On Wednesday the government of Colombian President Alvaro Uribe staged a dramatic raid on a FARC camp and rescued 14 hostages including Ingrid Betancourt (the former presidential candidate that was kidnapped by the FARC several years ago) and three Americans. They tricked the FARC people into believing that the helicopters were another leftist group (perhaps members of the US Congress) and they were simply moving the hostages to another safe location. FARC is a Marxist group that has caused disruptions in Colombia for a long time. Some of the morons in Congress call FARC a legitimate group and have supported them. Hugo Chavez, the Venezuelan dictator, was a big supporter of FARC. And at least indirectly, Nancy Pelosi, by her intransigence in getting a vote on the Columbian free trade pact, has also supported these thugs. Uribe's father was murdered by the FARC.

One would hope that the Congress would come to its senses on FARC and on the Columbian Free Trade Pact. But that is not likely. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid called the pact "a continuation of failed policies" that "have already cost countless American workers their jobs and have done profound harm to U.S. foreign policy." Reid and his kind have argued that Uribe's administration has been hostile to "human and worker rights" - what a crock. The reality is that the Colombian pact would only open their markets to our products - Colombian goods can already enter the US duty free as a result of the Andean trade pact. I guess Reid does not think that kidnapping and murdering people (FARC has done both) is a violation of human rights.