who owns patriotism? you do. June 29, 2007
Jack Neely’s piece in Metro Pulse this week on the meaning of patriotism is PURE GENIUS and should be required reading for every high school civics class in this country. He writes:
It’s useful to think that maybe there are also peaceful and maybe useful ways to be patriotic. And it’s a good thing there are some, because most of us aren’t even eligible to serve in the military. Maybe there are more accessible ways to be patriotic. If you believe in the words of “America the Beautiful,” for example, maybe it’s patriotic to pick up other Americans’ litter. Maybe it’s patriotic to find a way to get along without purchasing products that are likely to get our nation in even more trouble. Like, say, petroleum products produced in nations hostile to America or American values. Maybe it’s patriotic to be honest with paying our taxes, so much of which goes to our soldiers and veterans’ benefits.
And maybe it’s patriotic, albeit rare, to take enough interest in local government to study the issues, learn about the candidates, and vote. If we have incompetent or crooked people in office, maybe it’s because we, as citizens, haven’t been doing our patriotic duty.
If we don’t take care of what the troops are thinking about while they’re away, we’re letting them down, maybe even more than we would if we let a flag drag in the dirt, or sneezed through a Lee Greenwood song.
Do yourself a favor and read the whole thing. Then have your kids and your boss and your neighbor read it.
It’s also patriotic to question what the government is doing, what elected officials are doing, and to challenge them when they’re wrong. It’s patriotic to conduct peaceful demonstrations against the government, to voice your opinion about the war - and yes, you can do that and “Support Our Troops.” There are those who think it’s unpatriotic to say, “I hate this war” or “I can’t stand the administration and I don’t know how the decider-in-chief can sleep at night.” In fact, that’s patriotism at its finest. I fear that Americans have become convinced that they can’t openly talk about it - only in clusters at the water cooler. That’s scarey. Afterthought - It’s not patriotic, in my view, to spew absolute hatred toward a group of people and encourage violence against them. It is patriotic to suggest sensible solutions to the problem. I don’t think the Klan was/is patriotic and that’s where we’re headed.