On the Fourth of July
No, (I thought it natural to start by disagreeing with you) let's start somewhere else.
Today is the Fourth of July and so, naturally, I am sitting contemplating patriotism, borders, us versus them dynamics, and how fireworks, at least in this context, are used to simulate the experience of war.
I think patriotism is a bit silly. I don't understand why I'm supposed to feel nationalistic about my country. My country which is larger than I can fathom, my country which I am inherently disconnected from large swaths of, my country that kills people, my country that kills the world we live in (which, just for the books, I do totally support saving and only leaving if we must), my country which thinks it's entertaining to simulate the act of killing people while simultaneously killing the environment and my focus. Don't get me wrong, I love the idea of patriotism, I just don't love what it is. In my eyes, it often leads to foolish acts. People go to war to protect their country, their families, their worlds. They don't go to protect foreign oil interests, or in response to political pressure, at least I hope they don't. WWII wasn't about killing jews, it was about protecting Germany and restoring it to it's former glory. It was a result of a 'perfect storm scenario' not in which Jewish people were evil and the rest of Germany was prepared to fight them, but rather one in which Germany was broken and looking for a national goal to get behind. Now, is shooting off some fireworks and wearing an American flag Nazism? Not exactly. Is jumping into two pointless and destructive wars within an eight year period in which American soldiers would kill thousands of innocents? Not exactly either, but it's not exactly what I had in mind when I signed up for this 'land of the free' gig. Again, America is nothing like pre-WWII Germany, and patriotism is not inherently destructive, but I sure would love to see us gather behind something more universal, something a little less border oriented, a little less us and them, and a little more constructive.
Again, patriotism has it's merits, it put men on the moon and united our country after 9/11, it's what makes me love D.C, and what inspires me to get up at the crack of dawn every year and plant literally thousands of American flags around our neighborhood. I don't mean to take away from the soldiers who fought for our country, I only ask we consider those others who fought for theirs, and ask if it was worth fighting for a flag. I ask we consider those soldiers who fought for our country and those who manipulated those soldiers patriotism to push their agendas. I ask we celebrate our country ferociously and proudly, that we let the fireworks boom, that we grin, drink beers, gawk at pretty women and pretty colors in the sky, that we represent America, and that we remember somewhere there are a people just as proud, just as complex, just as deserving as we are. I ask that we are human before we are patriots and that we never let red, white, and blue cloud what is an immense, colorful portrait.
(I am so so excited to be doing this too, let's see what your patriotic-self has to say, this should be good)
-S
Today is the Fourth of July and so, naturally, I am sitting contemplating patriotism, borders, us versus them dynamics, and how fireworks, at least in this context, are used to simulate the experience of war.
I think patriotism is a bit silly. I don't understand why I'm supposed to feel nationalistic about my country. My country which is larger than I can fathom, my country which I am inherently disconnected from large swaths of, my country that kills people, my country that kills the world we live in (which, just for the books, I do totally support saving and only leaving if we must), my country which thinks it's entertaining to simulate the act of killing people while simultaneously killing the environment and my focus. Don't get me wrong, I love the idea of patriotism, I just don't love what it is. In my eyes, it often leads to foolish acts. People go to war to protect their country, their families, their worlds. They don't go to protect foreign oil interests, or in response to political pressure, at least I hope they don't. WWII wasn't about killing jews, it was about protecting Germany and restoring it to it's former glory. It was a result of a 'perfect storm scenario' not in which Jewish people were evil and the rest of Germany was prepared to fight them, but rather one in which Germany was broken and looking for a national goal to get behind. Now, is shooting off some fireworks and wearing an American flag Nazism? Not exactly. Is jumping into two pointless and destructive wars within an eight year period in which American soldiers would kill thousands of innocents? Not exactly either, but it's not exactly what I had in mind when I signed up for this 'land of the free' gig. Again, America is nothing like pre-WWII Germany, and patriotism is not inherently destructive, but I sure would love to see us gather behind something more universal, something a little less border oriented, a little less us and them, and a little more constructive.
Again, patriotism has it's merits, it put men on the moon and united our country after 9/11, it's what makes me love D.C, and what inspires me to get up at the crack of dawn every year and plant literally thousands of American flags around our neighborhood. I don't mean to take away from the soldiers who fought for our country, I only ask we consider those others who fought for theirs, and ask if it was worth fighting for a flag. I ask we consider those soldiers who fought for our country and those who manipulated those soldiers patriotism to push their agendas. I ask we celebrate our country ferociously and proudly, that we let the fireworks boom, that we grin, drink beers, gawk at pretty women and pretty colors in the sky, that we represent America, and that we remember somewhere there are a people just as proud, just as complex, just as deserving as we are. I ask that we are human before we are patriots and that we never let red, white, and blue cloud what is an immense, colorful portrait.
(I am so so excited to be doing this too, let's see what your patriotic-self has to say, this should be good)
-S
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