A comment I heard on The View this week continues to haunt me. Writing might resolve my unrest, or open the topic for discussion that will help me explore it deeper.
Regarding Cindy Sheehan, The View regular, Elizabeth Hasselback (maiden name: Filarski, a former sneaker designer and contestant on CBS' "Survivor: The Australian Outback.") said, (paraphrased) I'm sure if I had a child or someone over there, I would do anything, but I don't have anyone there. To provide a backdrop, and without going into detail, Elizabeth is not a fan of Cindy's, and she frequently voices patriotism and support for the troops.
I don't believe Elizabeth's statement is unique, and that's why I went from numb to haunted. I use her as an example because she offers her public opinions daily so it seems fair to let her statement work as the catalyst for a much bigger point, involving a number of people.
I can't fathom a level of patriotism that allows detachment from the men and women who are fighting our wars. I choose those words in an attempt to be fair to Elizabeth; they aren't men and women to me. They are kids. The dozen or so I've spoken with recently are younger than my daughter. And it breaks my heart to say our war, even though I have to take responsibility for what my country does in my name. While Elizabeth supported our invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, I opposed going in and haven't changed my mind for a second since.
Admittedly not fair, in my heart, that makes it her war and my kids. Her insensitivity to anyone who doesn't 'belong to her' precludes, or negates her professions of patriotism and support. We The People are the country. Anyone who can't love the people, especially those giving their lives and children, has no claim to patriotism in my opinion.
Is it possible to be patriotic without compassion?
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Comments: 31
Personally I believe that "patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel" is a good statement on the subject. What the heck is patriotism about anyway? I am a human being. The country I currently live in does a pretty fair job of being good for us human beings, but it is only 'pretty good', several are at least as good and none of them are perfect. If someone trys to make this country worse I will oppose them, whether they are internal or external (and they are as certainly as often internal as they are external). I was once asked "Aren't you proud to be an American?" and I answered honestly "Lucky yes, but proud? Why? I couldn't help being born here and why should I be paticularily proud of being smart enough not to go running off to some other less fortunate place to live?" Frankly, I don't personally know well anybody that has any reason to be 'proud to be an American',. but that is because I don't personally know well anybody that chose to be here and worked to achieve that goal I am sure that they exist, but I can assure you that the only people who have any right to be "proud to be American" are in the definite minority.
"Patriotism" as it generally understood is, like 'faith', part of the problem not part of the solution.
I am becoming afraid of our own government and feel shame for some ot the things it is doing both here and around the world.
I hate what I feel. I'd like to feel partiotic once again.
Don't let it get to you. Just keep questioning things. That's exactly what they DON'T want.
I'm rooting for ya. I go thru those periods of just being zapped of energy from the emptiness and apathy I see and hear too often. The extent of far too many people's patriotic fervor is to hang a support the troops ribbon (made in China) on their vehicles while ignoring cuts and shortfalls in the VA budget.
All I can do most times is...sigh. Their hearing is bad.
Enjoyed the read.
Precisely!
Watch the film, and weep.
Right on, Archie! And nationalism, what is that? Tribalism on a large scale. An ancient strategy for survival when people banded together for safety. But now, it seems to me nationalism is organized intolerance...often based on religious beliefs. Instead of serving as a protective strategy, it threatens to destroy us.
Absolutely, Bert. Thanks for this addition.
how can anyone be so callous?
I used to be able to type whole words. *Sigh*
Sue, to me, morals are how we deal with everything and everyone, which is also what politics is about. Either she cares about people or she doesn't. I don't think we get to hold separate sets of morals, one for me and mine and another for everyone else.
A person is only counted as viewing a page once - just like you can only vote once. Some people made more than one comment, and you made several comments, Sandy. If you count them all up like I did, it works out - sorry!
"Patriotism is a virtue of the vicious." Oscar Wilde
MJ. precious isn't a word I would choose for her. I wish I had written about their discussion of the new Barbie. I'll see if I can find a clip.