The patriotism conundrum

Tomorrow is Independence Day, which means it's time for the flags, the expressions of support for our armed forces past and present, and of love for country. And that means it's time I'm awash in ambivalence.

I can't honestly say I "love" my country. I love the idea of the United States. I think it's the best idea for a country anyone ever had, and I want to contribute to preserving the good and improving the not-so-good.

I'm willing to roll up my sleeves and work for the U.S. and her people, but "love" my country? I don't really know what that means. I don't automatically care more about people in America than people somewhere else, just because I happened to be born here. Besides, that's not love of country; it's national chauvinism.

To the bewilderment of many of my friends, I won't pledge allegiance to the flag. It's a piece of fabric. Yes, it has symbolic meaning to many people, and out of respect for them I'd never do anything to damage it or degrade it, but it means very little to me, and swearing allegiance to a piece of fabric is just not something I'm ever going to do.

And my feelings about the military are the most difficult for me to come clean about of all. A lot of young people in the armed forces are there because they had no other options, and I don't want anything bad to happen to them. I also know there are a few, a very, very few, just wars, and I believe the United States needs to have an army with the resources it needs to do its job when one arises.

But not all wars are just wars, and in most of them, the soldiers did not fight and die to "protect my freedom." They fought and died for other reasons, many of which they themselves didn't know, usually in the service of the egos of old men too complacent and powerful to risk anything themselves. Or for oil. Or national goals far less honorable than "freedom."

I don't think we should celebrate that. I think we should mourn it, and mourn the pain and suffering it caused to those soldiers and their families.

So while my neighbors hang out their flags and all my favorite blogs, Facebook and Twitter friends, and just about everyone I know says all the right things, and I quite literally have no place I really feel "safe" posting this, I'll just say that I hope everyone in the whole world has a safe and peaceful Independence Day.

Comments

[TheWeyrd1]

You've made some very valid points. At another time in history, perhaps in the future, pledging allegiance to the flag "and the republic for which it stands" might seem less hypocritical than it does right now. I am hopeful that we evolve into a county that isn't known for full civil rights being withheld from some folks based the whims of other folks or for entering into wars at the whim of rich men wanting to stay rich.

[Christie Keith]

I know that no matter how I feel now or might feel in the future about "the republic for which it stands," I will never make a pledge of allegiance to a FLAG. It doesn't even make sense to me, it feels like superstition or religion.

It's not that I don't feel I owe anything to my country, although I'm not sure what I owe it is "allegiance," but the FLAG part of it.

[Gina Spadafori]

I'm actually total dorky about flying the flag. I love it.

I think it's leftover from being in Sea Scouts.

[crism]

Nice post, Christie. I wrote up similar thoughts about the pledge a few years ago on my site.

[Thomas Cole]

Hi Christie,

Thank you for a heartfelt comment on what I consider to be the phoniest of all our holidays.

Fortunately, I'm old enough now to not give a damn what others think of me, so I can 'safely' write that I despise what our country has come to mean - to others.

You wrote, "...suffering it caused to those soldiers and their families." That's an honest statement from an American. Now look at it from the recipients' view.

What have our Great Crusades in the last 60 years cost us around the world? Americans have no clue what other nations think of our brash, arrogant, chest-pounding and constant mantra, We're Number One.

I enlisted and then volunteered repeatedly on my way through the army schools until I finally earned my Green Beret at my team dinner in 1972. With great disappointment I was assigned to military intelligence instead of a Special Forces A team.

I worked for Manfred Isserman, chief prosecutor at the Nuremberg Trials, while asigned to the MEAFSA collection desk (Mid-East, Africa, SE Asia). My subsequent boss was Jack Lenz, top covert US spy killer in 1973. Think I've seen a few things internationally?

Our dirty little wars have alienated entire nations - the very people we tried to "help." Instead of fighting terrorism on a small scale with shooting teams (assassinations), we send in our conventional warfare machine. Look what happens every single time. We don't need counter-insurgency or nation building. That crap causes wars. It's just an excuse to involve big business.

Our hunt for Osama bin Laden? Guess how that became a fight against WMD and Saddam Hussein? It happens like clockwork - America goes and fu--s with another country and causes a civil war.

If we, as a nation, actually respected others, we'd send in our shooters, live with the local people, gain their trust, and then they lead us to the right target (Osama, etc), then pow! Problem solved. 250 secret troops come home to fight another day. And then these countries might think we're good guys who don't blow up their country and kill their people.

Of all our interference, I'd say Granada is the most embarassing. Somalia is a close 2nd or 3rd. But Panama and The Great Hunt For Noriega was the silliest. See what I mean?

As you can tell, this highly decorated US combat veteran doesn't think much of politicians and generals. Too much $$$$ at stake for my pledge of allegiance. They sure like theirbig ships, planes and guns, don't they? I think we need a big parade!

If I could I'd fly my flag upside down. Know what that means to a military guy?