Patriotism

Recently, I was subtly accused of not being patriotic. I have heard it before, but this time I thought about it in some depth and I found it to be troubling. Troubling, because I believe the opposite to be true. No, I don’t wave flags and I will not (no, never!) say that I’m proud of my country…“right or wrong!” But those things certainly aren’t the mark of a patriot.

Starting back at the beginning…all through school I learned of patriotism. Patrick Henry, Thomas Payne and George Washington; they were my heroes. I was a color bearer in the Cub Scouts. Then, I had to pass the Constitution test to move on to high school. And all during this time I accepted everything I was told about the Pilgrims, the Founding Father’s and the great struggles during the Revolutionary War. I even believed that the first colonists stepped off the boat and onto Plymouth Rock. (I saw a picture of the rock!) If all of those things were patriotism…I was patriotic.

Later, when I was 19, I joined the Navy. That in itself is not a patriotic thing to do. Lot’s of people do it because they have nothing better to do or they are looking for a secure government paycheck. The fact that some people will consider you patriotic for doing it becomes an added bonus. And sometimes the patriotism angle will give you some comfort when actually faced with the possibility of war. I remember that feeling during the first Lebanon crisis when units from our base were sent to that country and later, during the Cuban missile crisis. After six years of service I was given an Honorable Discharge and became an official veteran. And that is something that far less than 10% of Americans ever do…sure sounds patriotic to me.

It was after my time in the Navy that I became a different kind of patriot. For one, I began to question some of the history and I found it to be false. I learned of the dictum that history is always written by the victors and that made me think about the history I had read. And then I noticed that some of those who spoke the loudest and most vehemently about their love for the country were not willing to act on that love and put on a uniform. Vietnam divided this country into those who believed we could do no wrong and those who knew we had done something wrong. I was one of the latter. And as it turned out, we were right. Did I love my country less for it? No, but I certainly didn’t trust those in charge of the country. I had seen and heard the lies they were capable of.

America is an inanimate object; from shore to shore, a collection of rock and soil. It’s the people that make up what we call America and that is always in flux. America reflects us, as we are, today, and when I see that image to be less than what I think it should be, I am angered. The “huddled masses, yearning to be free” aren’t always welcomed in this land of the free. And the freedom to speak is still being defined in our country. Our liberties are always under attack, and sometimes by the very same people who pretend to be our protectors, our leaders.

If you think that all public officials are selfless and guided only by their love for the country. If you believe that Congress exists only to serve. If you believe that the President has only the interests of the people at heart…then you are the worst kind of patriot. One who doesn’t bother to seek the truth.

It’s my belief that you can’t be a patriot unless you are constantly on guard against those who would take your freedom. And that is why I question everything that this government does. I keep a copy of the Constitution, the Bill of Rights and the Declaration of Independence on my computer. And I read it now and then, whenever I see or hear something that challenges what I remember to be in those documents.

The flag? No matter what kind of “magic” we try to ascribe to it, is still a collection of red, white and blue fabric. The Constitution, the Bill of Rights and the Declaration of Independence are just words on old pieces of paper. And the truth is…America is more than all of them combined. And so we have a task…to bring life to that flag and meaning to those words. And we can’t do it by simply believing it to be true. We need to be inquisitive and to constantly prod all those to whom we give authority. We need to be defiant in the face of wrongful authority and always question, question, question! And when, as a country, we do wrong, we negate all the good we can do if we don’t acknowledge our mistakes and do what is right and good.

Patriotism? I’ll match mine against anyone’s.