Defining Patiotism

Posted on July 5, 2003 in Citizenship Crosstalk War

Wampum quotes a 1991 column by Mary McGrory in which a reader writes:

“To be a patriot in my view, you have to have at least one time in your life actually supported your country in its actions without reservation or desire for political advantage.”

McGrory notes that the last time she unequivocably supported a U.S. overseas action was World War 2. If support for actions is limited to war making, then I am screwed. I was born in 1958 for one thing and I haven’t seen a just war in my life. Second, though World War 2 comes closer than most to a just war, the United States committed its share of unjust actions such as the fire-bombing of Dresden and the use of atomic weapons.

On the other hand, if we allow other kinds of support to qualify, then I can come up with a long long list:

• I’ve supported the creation of national parks.
  
• I’ve supported the protection of old growth forests for the sake of ensuring that a gene pool of untainted plant life remain for the future health of those forests that we do harvest and for the sake of the wonder of descendants to come.
  
• I’ve supported funding of the arts.
  
• I’ve supported funding of medical research.
  
• I’ve supported funding of education, ensuring equal opportunity for all our citizens.
  
• I’ve supported gun registration.
  
• I’ve supported campaign finance reform.
  
• I’ve supported the Civil Rights Acts that have been passed in my lifetime.
  
• I’ve supported Affirmative Action.
  
• I’ve supported bilingual education.
  
• I’ve supported teaching evolution in our schools.
  
• I’ve supported the cleanup of toxic waste sites.
  
• I’ve paid my taxes every year since the age of 16.
  
• I’ve supported the Progressive Income Tax which ensures that the weight falls most on those who can best afford it (because they have sucked the most from the money pool and done the least to circulate what they have)

• I’ve supported fiscal responsibility.
  
• I’ve honored copyrights held by other U.S. citizens.
  
• I’ve supported the right to govern of the majority/plurality winner of every fair election that I have participated in.
  
• I’ve supported good relationships with other countries.
  
• I’ve supported our participation in the United Nations.
  
• I’ve supported the Panama Canal Treaty and the Kyoto Accords.
  
• I supported Bill Clinton’s rights to a fair trial and privacy.
  
• I’ve supported looking after the needs of those who risked their lives for their country.
  
• I’ve supported the separation of Church and State.
  
• I never ever have taken up arms against my country or supported armed rebellion against it.
  
• I’ve supported the Bill of Rights my entire life, even when it has meant that others express views that I detest.

Put this challenge to those who call people like me “unpatriotic” because we don’t go along with wars. You will find whiners who don’t like paying taxes, hate civil rights laws, hate affirmative action, have allowed the White House to be stolen by a loser president, hate the United Nations, wanted Bill Clinton’s hide at any price, hate the fact that I can talk freely about what I think is wrong about their thinking, want their religion to be the state religion, hate artists, hate spending money on veterans or schools or medical research (except when it benefits them alone), etc.

I believe that I know what Wampum and McGrory are hinting at: real patriots strive for smart policies based on the well-being of the body politic. Jingoism just doesn’t cut it.

Wave your flags for all that is good about our government. Have the nerve to express your dissent about the things that are wrong, so very wrong.