Even as a teenager, I loved my country. But it was elevated to a passion when I went to my first Tea Party. In my long life I had never even considered carrying a sign in a peaceful protest. I found kindred spirits in great numbers and with a common thread: We love our country and we must do all we can to save it from politicians that seem to no longer care about anything except their own selfish interests. And there must be something we can do about our out-of-control bloated government. I think that these thoughts form the basis for defining Patriotism.
Patriotism, probably do to the popularity of the Tea Party movement, has lately become dinner chatter and been both applauded and maligned by all. For some, it 's a tacky exercise-- best left muted and without fanfare. Some find it a foreign, puzzling emotion, and are often embarrassed by it's display.
But I think that the majority of us are patriots like myself, who feel the goose bumps during the Pledge of Allegiance, and wonder why this feeling isn't universal! One of the many reasons why I am an avid Yankee baseball fan is the tingling experience of the 7th inning “God Bless America” by the departed but ageless Kate Smith (who no doubt was a patriot).
In grade school and political events it was not unusual to Pledge of Allegiance to the flag. In Civics courses (Remember when it was required fare?) we learned the capitals of all the states and examined the Constitution and it's amendments. In assembly hall (or home room), the stars and stripes hung proudly and the Pledge to the Flag, which every one knew by heart was like saying “Life is Good and God Bless the fact that we live in this great country. And the social stigma of not being a vocal participant was not pretty! Before a basketball game, we prayed for victory and gave thanks when we won and nobody worried about separation of church and state.
Being brought up in rural areas, in the nation's bread basket and a life of uncomplicated basic needs, certainly gives one an added appreciation of their surroundings. My father used to remind me, often--that we fed the world. So being a part of the growing of corn, wheat and live stock, being imbedded in the great outdoors, hard physical work and family teamwork resulted in a personal pride that extended beyond the farm's boundaries.
Parents got us involved with Boy Scouts and FFA (Future Farmers of America) which certainly had a positive influence on us. But I don't ever remember my parents ever talking about “love of country”. I think because we knew little about life outside of our own town, we, by default, gave thanks for what we had in our family dinner prayers. We did not think life could be any better!
On the other hand, outside of parental control, most of today's kids seem not to care about who in their government is manipulating their lives and piling on their personal debt. It is so sad when they do those man-in-the-street NYC interviews and so many of these eligible voters can't even ID their own VP or Attorney General. Yet they have no problem with recognizing JZ, 50cent, Britney Spears or A-Rod.
As I get older (and wiser) I feel that it is very possible to love your country and fear your government.( as is the case at the moment) These feelings are not tied at the hip. Not by a long shot!. James Baldwin, not quite the fountain of conservatism, said “I love America more than any other country in this world, and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually.”
What's the moral to this story? As Martha Stewart or John Stossel would say, Patriotism is a “good thing”. One must never apologize for the emotion it often summons. Unless, of course, you can't get through a speech on the subject with out blubbering! I have seen real Patriots make these poignant moving stories without a tear and wonder how they do it. We have found, in the last decade or so, that our representatives no longer represent us. You who straddle the fencen as spectators should be aware that for each single protester out there who carries his own hand made sign--there are millions of us who are mad as Hell and support them-- but we often can't get away to sound off. Unlike our elected representatives, Tea Partiers do care and frequently take stock on how the country is faring. These Super-Patriots get their zeal from the fact that their grass roots pro-activity is working. In other words, all of us, the protesters and those at home are patriotic voters who are paying attention, taking names and coming on strong to take our country back!
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