What Patriotism Isn't

On the eve of Independence Day, I think a little discussion of patriotism is in order.  Now, Merriam-Webster defines patriotism as love for or devotion to one's country.  I don't think that completely describes it, though; let me provide an example -- courtesy of Michael Moore, a 4th of July message from Cindy Sheehan.

The star-spangled banner, which I can now see whipping in the wind outside of an airport terminal where I am writing this from does not fill me with pride: it fills me with shame and that flag symbolizes sorrow and corruption to me right now. The flag represents so much lying, fixed elections, profiting by the war machine, high gas prices, spying on Americans, rapid erosion of our freedoms while BushCo literally gets away with murder, torture and extreme rendition, contaminating the world with depleted uranium, and illegal and immoral wars that are responsible for killing so many. A symbol which used to represent hope to so many around the world now fills so many with disgust.

That dictionary definition of "patriotism" is incomplete, it left out pride.  To me, patriotism is not only a love for America and a devotion to it -- it's also a lump-in-the-throat feeling of pride about our history, our principles and our accomplishments.  Now, Cindy would no doubt claim a great love and devotion to America and would protest that her anti-Bush, anti-war campaign only demonstrates it.

But Cindy's not proud of America.  You see, she confuses the government with the country.  She suffers from the same blinkered attitude that made wearing an American flag pin in the wake of 9/11 into a hick-Fox-News-only thing on most of network TV.  She glosses over the fact that her own son, Casey, re-upped on his own because of his love for his country. Increasingly, the left cannot separate politics (and thus the Bush administration) from the concept of the United States.

When Jimmy Carter was President and our Iranian embassy employees were held hostage by a third-rate mullahcracy, our military was so weak it couldn't rescue them and our economy at home was crashing, I still loved America and felt pride in it.  When Bill Clinton ordered our troops to slink out of Mogadishu, refused to address Bin Laden's threats in any meaningful way and used the IRS to attack his political enemies, I despised him -- but still loved and felt pride for America.

Jimmy Carter wasn't America, Bill Clinton wasn't America and neither is George Bush.  I happen to be a Bush-supporter but I'm able to distinguish between the people currently in power who make up the government and the rest of us who make up the country.  Cindy Sheehan and a good portion of the left evidently can't.

it [the flag] fills me with shame and that flag symbolizes sorrow and corruption to me right now.

If Cindy and her fellow-far-lefties can't distinguish between a President they don't like and the country they purport to love, then I'm convinced that they are nothing but shallow.  They don't love the country, they love their own ideas; and whatever else they may be --  they're not patriotic. 

If the 4th of July means anything to you at all, no matter what your party affiliation, I suspect you'll agree.

Comments

[FarMcKon]

>You see, she confuses the government with >the country. She suffers from the same >blinkered attitude that made wearing an
> American flag pin in the wake of 9/11
> into a hick-Fox-News-only thing on
> most of network TV.

I would say that she suffers from the same blinkered attitude that made wearing an american flag an assumed endorsement of the Bush administration.

I think it's more like "increasingly the left and the right and center cannot seprate politics (and thus the Bush administration) from the concept of the United States."

Right left and center, the media and the people are trivalizing the complex relationship of people, their political parties, and our great nation.

As Mark Twain said "Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it."

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