Knee Jerk Patriotism

There are certain things that make me feel patriotic. And, yes, the national anthem before a sporting event can be one of them…

But what is patriotism, really? And, perhaps an even better question is, what is it not?

Here’s a recent video of a woman who spontaneously sang the national anthem at the Lincoln Memorial…

Yea, that one made me beam with patriotic pride. Her effort seemed to have a similar effect on those standing around her.

Those who’ve fought to defend our shared liberty come in many shapes and sizes. Certainly the brave young men who stormed the beaches of Normandy fit the bill. But so does the young woman who refused to ride in the back of the bus. So do those who braved the firehoses, nightsticks, and attack dogs of Bull Connor and his officers in the streets of Birmingham, Alabama.

And so does the young quarterback who took it upon himself to demonstrate his concern about social injustice in our country.

In one form or another all of those mentioned above paid a price for their displays of patriotism, some the ultimate price.

You see, when that flag is draped around really bad ideas like racism and bigotry, or around blind support for misguided military excursions that unnecessarily consume our nation’s precious resources and spill its even more precious blood…then it ceases to symbolize liberty, especially for those oppressed.

Donald Trump’s comments for a crowd of his “base” followers in Alabama offer up that brand of knee jerk patriotism that’s anything but inspirational. For many, perhaps most, his comments were infuriating.

They were infuriating to those who know very well that while they might not agree with certain ideas, or the means used in expressing them, peacefully, nevertheless they will defend to the death another’s right to express them.

That’s exactly what all those players and owners were doing out there on the fields across the nation on Sunday.

It had nothing to do with “the flag.” The flag is a piece of dyed cloth. The military is a government program that consumes an inordinate amount of our nation’s capital.

Neither deserve our worship.

And that “story” is one of our commonly shared liberty…

To the chagrin and outright anger of some, including our sitting president, Colin Kaepernick has become a symbol of that liberty.

And Trump should be wary because in our country true defenders of liberty have a pretty good track record of success against their detractors.