The Last Refuge of Scoundrels
I have kind of a weird quirk: I refuse to fly a U.S. flag. Or wear a pin. Or hang up anything "flaggy" like a wreath or one of those distressed wooden signs. And I absolutely refuse to clothe any part of my body with anything red, white, blue, starred and striped.
It's not that I "hate America" or favor burning the flag or any such nonsense. It's just that I feel the same way about patriotism that I feel about my Christian faith: that if I'm a true patriot, it should be obvious from the way I act and the attitude I have toward my fellow Americans. (Which, on the Christian side, is why I don't wear a cross, either.)
This whole "more patriotic than thou" flag-waving dates back to the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. Flags sprouted up everywhere, and it was considered a mark of support for our country. All very well and good; but as the years have ground on, that sort of patriotism has taken on the air of being more "the last refuge of scoundrels" than the genuine article.
And Just What Do You Mean by That?!
Oh, I can hear it now: "Well, if the flag offends you, I'll help you pack!"
Hey, I'm not condemning the flying of the flag; but when you see it everywhere, all the time, doesn't it sort of lose its meaning? When you see full-size U.S. flags waving off the back of pickup trucks, or bandannas and other flag clothing being worn by all and sundry--not just on Memorial Day or the Fourth of July or the several other national holidays that call for flying the flag, but all year long--well, frankly, I'm tired of it.
The flag isn't supposed to be an object of reverence in and of itself; it's a symbol. It's supposed to be a symbol of goodness and doing the right thing and all that, and sure, some of that is true...but to be brutally honest, we've also done some massively awful things throughout our history. From enslaving Black people to persecuting and killing Native Americans to meddling in the internal affairs of other countries (cough-cough-Iran-cough-cough), our record is far from spotless. But a real patriot faces those actions and says, "Yeah, it happened, and we were wrong to do it. From now on, we need to do better." What's so wrong about that?
Excuses, Excuses!
And I'm sorry-not-sorry, but I have no use for any politician who waves the flag--either literally or figuratively--as an excuse for why he or she won't do something or help somebody or take a certain course of action.
A perfect example is the hate-on that the modern GOP has for a national health care program. Heaven knows, the ACA is a patchwork solution at best, relying too much on the non-existent goodwill of Big Pharma and private companies who care more for the Almighty Dollar than for the well-being of their clients. A single-payer system similar to that of Canada would do a lot to rein in the runaway horses pulling the private-insurance wagon, and would cost less for everyone, including the government. But what do Republicans say when the idea is voiced? "It's socialism! It's not American!"
Which is nothing but red, white and blue bullshit.
The Preamble--the "mission statement" for the country--says that "we the people" were, among other things, aiming to "promote the general welfare." Meaning, create an environment that was beneficial for all people to live in. Health care for everyone is a natural fit for that part of the Preamble. And as I have pointed out before in another post, keeping the American population healthy is a sensible investment; healthy people can work better and produce more. And when regular checkups and routine scans are free, serious diseases can be caught before costly treatments are needed; even better, when people are following their doctor's advice, many ailments can be prevented.
So if a politician's only argument for failing to act is "But it's not American," he or she just might need to get voted out. Because the concept of what is "American" is decided by all Americans...not just a few reactionaries who fear change.
Flag of Hate
Of course, there are those whose only real use of the flag is as a banner of hate, and I would be failing in my duty as a patriot if I didn't call those assholes out.
Yeah, that would be you, "Proud Boys" (notice it's not "proud men"...hmmm). And you, too, "Oath Keepers" (any connection to the Promise Keepers? Gotta wonder). Yep, you Klukkers get a cyber-boo as well. And every other stupid militia movement and white supremacist cabal sliming up the American flag while claiming to defend it. You know why Colin Kaepernick took a knee during the National Anthem? It was because of know-nothing hate junkies like them. When people believe that justice and equal rights are only for those who look and believe the way they do, they reveal themselves to be fake patriots. No one who truly loves this country should ever look to people like that for guidance. And if any politician is following some hate group's guidance...well, on Election Day it would be an excellent idea to vote him out (but do be informed, lest you vote in someone worse).
And Finally...
I know I'm coming across as something of a doom-and-gloomer; with Memorial Day approaching, most folks are looking forward to cooking out and hanging with the family, and the last thing they want is some little Worm like myself raining on the party!
But we need to be thinking about these things, now more than ever. Muddy thinking has led us to this pass, and if we don't start defining terms like "patriot," we will continue to see the term misused and misapplied. On this holiday, we are supposed to remember the many men and women who have lost their lives to defend the freedoms we have; let us also remember that those freedoms have a flip side of responsibility.
So here are a few things a real patriot is and does:
- A real patriot loves her country, but not blindly.
- A real patriot is willing to admit when her country's people have done wrong, and is ready to make things right.
- A real patriot never calls another person's opinion "treason"; if the opinion is wrong, she will lay out the facts that demonstrate this, and not simply call her adversary names.
- A real patriot may disagree with what someone else says, but will always defend his right to say it.
- A real patriot treats all other citizens and would-be citizens with respect and kindness, and does everything in her power to ensure that they are afforded the same rights and opportunities as everyone else.
