posted July 3, 2008
Ambrose Bierce once described patriotism as the belief that some place is special just because you were born there.
The July 3 Times Free Press article 'The Meaning of Patriotism' includes a strange comment by Violet Reid of Marion County: "There's a constant battle between individual rights and being an American. There's more of a pull toward individualism and less of, 'we are Americans.'"
With all due respect, just what does the woman mean? Does she favor the 'nanny state' philosophy, figuring that we all owe her a satisfactory lifestyle?
Traditionally America was a place of true independence, where everyone did his best to take care of himself, to support himself and fulfill his own responsibilities, and was also willing to help out when anyone else had a real need. Men and women fought, bled, and died to found a country where independence and individualism were possible and were honored. Then laws were set up mainly to see that we didn't do each other any actual harm.
The U.S. of A. was formed as a bunch of individual states that bound themselves together for a common goal, for their common good. Now, of course, the royalty in Washington, D.C. tells the states what they've gotta do for the good of Washington.
This woman makes it sound as if independence and individualism are bad things, and that the country is more important than the people it consists of. I agree that so-called "hyphenated-Americans" are often divisive, but personal independence was the original basis of the whole revolutionary idea, wasn't it? Individual rights were once guaranteed by the Constitution, etc. Now the nanny ninnies despise anyone who believes in true independence, and today's laws are written mostly so that nobody's feelings get hurt.
Martin Caidin's view of patriotism is a good one: "A patriot is somebody who loves his country more than he hates his government ... ."
That may be an unfortunate definition, but that's the way independent individuals have to live now in America.
Larry Cloud
* * *
There is no more patriotic an individual than the one who will proudly go away to fight proudly and honorably for a country that still considered him and people who looked like him less than equal, and at times less than human.
There's no loving the parent who will tell you they're disappointed in you because they believe you are capable of so much more. And there's no loving and greater the friend than the one who risk losing a friendship by telling you when you have bad breath, body odor, smelly armpits. Who will take the keys away and that extra drink of alcohol after you've had too much to drink at the party, while all others are talking about you and laughing at you behind your back.
Being patriotic doesn't mean going along to get along. It's about standing on principle and the values a nation has set for itself and its citizens. It means knowing the different between right and wrong and reminding when more wrong than right is being committed. It means being prepared to be berated, ostracized, criticized, attacked, threaten and cussed out. It means being called a "coward" while those attacking you refuse to see their own cowardice. Otherwise, people could argue that followers of Hitler were right. After all, to them, they too were being patriotic to Germany.
To question and attack another's patriotism because they have a difference of opinion doesn't make America a better, free and Democratic nation. It makes America appear to be the hypocrite, a false prophet. A nation that does not practice what it preach. A nation and people that has again become drunken with power, Base and with no scruples.
I can also say with honesty and truthfulness that I love my country, but I'm not always proud of the choices she makes or the seemingly hypocrisy and double standards she at times embrace. And that is my and any Americans right to question and to be honest. It is our right and duty as Americans. That's suppose to be the privilege of living in a "free" and "Democratic" society. That's what we're told America's men and women are being sent away to fight and die for in wars. So Americans can have the "freedoms" often denied to the peoples of lesser nations with lesser rights.
There's no greater or more brave the patriot, the hero than the one willing to tell the truth when others can't handle the truth.
Happy Birthday Day, America
Brenda Manghane~Washington
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