A Buzz Word

In the land of Nod the citizens know their civic responsibilities. Dutifully they would wave their flags in moments of perplexity, which are often. Nod had become a Republic through a bitter, long drawn out struggle. Their history as taught in schools never let them forget the fact. Ever since its birth there were so many problems to which the Noddians always applied patriotism as a cure. It was what their Founding Fathers made as the highest virtue.
One morning there was a cry,’ Fire, Fire!’. One citizen got up from bed startled and rushed down the stairs shooting his rifle in the air. He was hauled up before the Judge. The charge against him was that he did not help the citizens in putting out the fire. His defense lawyer cited The Patriot Act; oh he made a big thing out of the relevant clause that stipulated every citizen to fire away when the cry went up ‘Fire!’ ‘Fire!’ ‘So my client’s patriotism got the better of his good sense,’ thus he rested his case.
The Judge agreed. Thus Oxymoron beat a brave retreat owing to the manner he responded to the emotionally charged word ‘ fire’.

benny