Patriotism

I realize I promised you all on Tuesday that today would be the day for the unveiling of the next Zizzle-Zot Reader of the Month. I also realize that this event has been patiently waited for, with no small amount of anticipation, by a number of Zizzle-Zotians for a number of days. I’m sorry to tell you all that you’ll have to wait one more. Call me a liar, but take my word that tomorrow will be the day (I just admitted to being a liar and proceeded to ask you to take my word…a paradox, I know).

I have the next Reader of the Month selected. I even have the congratulatory post written. The reason for the delay is a selfish one. Last night while I was watching fireworks I got to thinking. And you all know what happens when Zizzle-Zot gets to thinking.

I’m not usually overly sentimental when it comes to holidays. I think about pumpkin pie on thanksgiving, not the pilgrims. Labor Day is a good excuse to sleep in. Even religious holidays don’t do much for me. I have a hard time focusing on the cross on Good Friday or the birth of Jesus on Christmas. I tend to find that truly revelatory religious experiences arrive unexpectedly and can’t be coordinated to happen once or twice a year on assigned dates.

Likewise, the 4th of July has always been a day of lakeside barbeques, yard games, and of course fireworks. But for inexplicable reasons my mind was cranking at full gear for this year’s celebration and I wasn’t allowed the pleasure of enjoying such simplicities. Instead I was thinking about what the 4th of July means to me, if anything.

The day, as most Americans know, commemorates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. It was the day that the United States of America became, in effect, the United States of America by declaring its independence of Britain.

The 4th of July is a celebration of the United States. It’s a celebration to remember and thank the founding fathers, to commemorate the history of our country and to proudly display our patriotism by engorging our senses with grotesque quantities of food and loud explosions (sorry, wasn’t trying to be a smartass, but couldn’t resist).

But last night I had to ask myself a very important question: Am I a patriot? As many of you know, I believe this country’s leaders have dropped the ball on a number of issues. I’m not going to stand up as a Bush-basher and pretend like he is the only one to blame. As much as we like to nostalgically reminisce about the great presidents that came before, it would be foolish to imagine that they were perfect. EVERY administration has dropped the ball in one way or another. It’s because we’re humans and we are, as a species, idiots.

But patriotism doesn’t mean accepting the status quo. It doesn’t mean we shouldn’t question the decisions of the men and women we choose to lead us. It doesn’t mean we should be passive and submissive in the face of authority.

To be a patriot means to have pride in one’s homeland, to appreciate the values of one’s homeland, and to recognize that one owes a certain debt to one’s homeland. In this sense I am a patriot through and through. I have been given freedoms and opportunities in the United States that I would not get anywhere else in the world. I have the freedom to say what I want to say, read what I want to read, do what I want to do. I have the freedom to pursue an education and career, and (sadly) I have the freedom to choose not to.

I also have the freedom to dissent. To be a patriot means to recognize that: yes, we have a great country here and go on to say: but it could be better. This is our freedom and this is our burden. America has made tremendous strides in addressing issues of justice, equality and civil liberties. We do more than any other nation in the world to address global poverty. Contrary to current belief, we still act as a beacon of hope to the oppressed people of the world (just look at how many people work themselves to the bone trying to get here). We must count our blessings that we were lucky enough to be born in a land of prosperity unknown to most of the world.

And once we’ve done that, let’s do our damndest to make it better. Rather than address world poverty, let’s eradicate world poverty. Rather than pass legislation to promote equality, let’s learn to mutually respect the inherent value of all people. In this we may find true equality. Rather than pass laws to enforce our justice, let’s instill in our children the value and meaning of justice. Let’s follow the advice of the wise and eminent sage Abraham Lincoln to focus less on whether God is on our side and to aspire always to be on God’s side, “for God is always right.”

Fellow patriots, let’s be thankful for our country. Now let’s make it better.

Thanks for reading.


“Patriotism consists of straining that our country shall be righteous as well as strong.”