bjturk.commentary: pride or patriotism?

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this bjturk.commentary:
pride or patriotism?

There are a lot of people flying the flag lately (including me, above). The red, white and blue can be seen everywhere, from car windows to grocery bags. Everybody has jumped aboard the patriotism bandwagon. But have they really? And why weren't they on it before?

The American flag, as a national symbol, is a unifying force in itself, but does it symbolize the patriotism of those who fly it? Not necessarily. Being a proud American is one thing, but being a patriot is quite another. What we have seen lately is not patriotism, but more a display of nationalistic pride. There is a huge difference.

Nationalistic pride is being proud of one's country, and being proud to be a citizen of one's country. That's not a bad thing, to be sure, and I'm not running it down by any means. It's nice, but it's still not patriotism.

The brave men and women who founded the United States of America over 220 years ago were patriots. Those who signed the Declaration of Independence pledged their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor. They knew that they were signing their own death warrants, but were willing to risk everything they had, and everything that they were, for the liberty to which they believed they were entitled, and the liberty that they believed that they deserved. Several of them paid a heavy price, too. Some died at the end of a hangman's rope, some died penniless, and relatively few lived to a ripe old age.

The vast majority of today's flag-wavers are not patriots at all. We have gone so long without having had our freedoms directly assailed that few of us have the dedication to freedom that our forefathers had. In fact, I would doubt that more than one in ten today would be willing to risk what they laid on the line two centuries ago. That kind of open defiance of obstructions to one's own freedom simply doesn't exist in quantity in America's overly-pampered society. For what other reason can we explain the ability of hijackers — armed only with claims of a bomb, small knives and box-cutters, and outnumbered 20 to 1 — being able to take control of four airliners on September 11?

For the most part, the majority of patriots that exist today are either serving in the military or have been there. Comparatively speaking, that isn't many among the general population. They aren't normally vocal because it's not often fashionable to be outspokenly patriotic. They're in vogue today because everyone is spouting nationalistic pride in the name of patriotism.

But it's in the name of patriotism only. We write checks and wave flags, but the vast majority of us wouldn't for a moment think of pledging our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor to the promotion and defense of liberty. We expect Congress and the President to do it because it's their job. It's our job too, though. It is ultimately, and the ultimate, responsibility of everyone who calls himself or herself an American.

The real question is whether Americans are proud or patriotic. Most today are proud without being patriotic, but the truly patriotic are always proud. Do you stand proudly, or do you stand patriotically?

In honor and in memory of the true patriots,
Happy Veterans Day; November 11, 2001

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