Obama is calling on Americans to turn in their fellow citizens who express concern or opposition to his health care reform. He has even supplied an e-mail address so that we can forward e-mails, report blogs or Web site addresses expressing such.

Calling upon citizens to report dissent to authorities is not new to history. This tactic has been employed by the likes of Hitler, Lenin, Stalin and Mao Tse-tung, to name a few. The president and Democratic Party leadership have also set into motion a campaign to demonize our fellow citizens for speaking out at town-hall meetings, labeling them as mobs and right-wing extremists. Sounds a lot like the recent propaganda the ayatollah and Ahmadinejad of Iran put out to quell dissent in their country.

If this turn of events wasn’t so frightening it would be comical. It is becoming apparent that Democrats have adopted the philosophy that they are not in Washington to represent or serve the people but to serve the party, Obama and themselves. The rank and file of the Democratic Party should be ashamed that their party leadership is engaging in such tactics. This is nothing less than a direct assault on the American people.

All of us, Democrat, Republican or Independent, should be outraged that our president and congressional leadership are engaging in such dictatorial tactics, and we should fiercely defend the right of anyone to speak their mind. If we do not then we are complicit in this violation of everything this nation stands for.