Patriotism: Minutemen, the Founding Fathers and the War in Iraq, "Pssst...is he with us?" |
Many, many people believe it is impossible for me to be both a patriotic American, and a royalist. I have been called a traitor, a subversive, even a damn Tory once, as well as being attacked with almost every computer virus ever devised by the 'internet Sons of Liberty'. This really has ceased to bother me, though it will always be an annoyance. Once it was widely believed that one could not be both a Catholic and a patriotic American, and in some places this attitude still remains unfortunately. If these sort of people constitute what it means to be a patriot, I am certainly not going to fit the bill. However, I have been able to see most of this vast country of ours, and honestly get quite emotional when walking the ground at Gettysburg or such places. Some people would probably call me a traitor just for identifying myself as so many other things before being "American", such as being a Christian and a Texan. Texans I think have always been the most independent and individualistic people on the continent, but perhaps I make a better Texan than an American simply because I feel the revolution which created the Republic of Texas was much more justified than that for the USA. As a general concept I oppose almost all revolutions, however I have a love for my country that few people could likely understand. I love my country because of pure emotional attachment, and this certainly does not keep me from having great affection for other countries as well. I love my country because it is my home, not because I believe it is better than any other country. I get very irritated listening to people go on and on about how we live in "the greatest country in the world". Americans have not had to fight for their life in any way close to what other countries have done, and I'm sure their patriotism is just as strong even though their country may not be a super-power and you never hear them saying, "Luxembourg is the greatest country in the entire world!" I have often been accused, like most of my countrymen, of having a similarly arrogant attitude regarding Texas, but I assure you it is all in good fun. We have problems down here to be sure. When the war on Iraq got underway, many people were outraged that so many around the world, and in our own country, would dare to oppose such a move. People were shocked that Pope John Paul would even openly oppose such an invasion. For these people, I would really like to know, do you actually expect the Holy Father to be in favor of any war? Did you actually think he was going to come out on the balcony and yell charge? As for the people in this country, I opposed the invasion, but supported the war for the sake of my many relatives in the combat zone; being a student of Vietnam, I know what an unsupportive homefront can do to a war. However, it is extremely arrogant to believe that one cannot be patriotic unless they believe that our government never makes any mistakes. Patriotism should not be defined purely by how you feel about making war on another country, yet in America that often seems to be so. During the American Revolution, if you did not support all-out war against Britain, you were a labelled a treasonous Tory (by those who did not consider attacking the officials of their own government to be treason). One would hope that after a few hundred years, we would have grown beyond this behavior. It is the same attitude displayed in every radical revolution, by every extremist government, and every political ideology--you are with us or you are against us. These attitudes are a brand of nationalism, not patriotism. Nationalism can be very good and very beneficial, but only if it is based on the most noble traditions of a country, and respects those of others. When it is based on a political doctrine or xenophobic philosophy, it becomes perhaps the most dreadful trap for the minds of the people as has ever been experienced. Long live the counter-revolution! |