Weighing In on Hard Topics: Part 1

It's Time to Discuss the Elephant(s) in the Room

I’m perplexed by certain things about America today. Some of these I’ve attempted to avoid writing about. It’s hard to write about things that may upset people, it’s simply not in my nature to have people dislike me. Having said that, if you’re going to have a blog like this one, you need to tackle sensitive issues every now and then. I think it’s also important for me to provide a viewpoint on certain aspects of our society that are impacting our daily lives. 

With that said, I’m going to tackle 3 sensitive topics over the next 3 weeks that are worth discussing but will almost certainly be controversial. It’s a risk I’m willing to take. The 3 topics will be presented in this order: 

1. Patriotism 

2. Product Boycotts

3. Joe Biden 

This week, we’ll tackle patriotism. 

Why is it that patriotism is now aligned with the alt-right or MAGA crowd of this country? Are Democrats not patriotic? Are centrists not patriotic? What about Libertarians, are they not patriotic? If you listen to the news, to be patriotic is to align yourself with Donald Trump and the MAGA crowd. This is both ridiculous and incorrect. It’s important we expose this narrative for what it is; divisive, misleading and dangerous. It’s dangerous because without a love of country, you don’t care what happens to your government or the people they are elected to serve. I realize this is true for certain portions of our society. They live in America but dislike our shared history, traditions and everything we stand for. This isn’t a problem from where I sit. It’s everyone’s right to think, feel and say what they please. I’ll even concede that it’s perfectly fine to burn the American flag in your front yard, no matter how much it pains me to say it. These are freedoms provided to us as American citizens. I can assure you, the people railing against those freedoms would be lost without them, writhing in abject terror from their jail cells rather than the steps of the state capitol. 

It’s always amazing to me that more people don’t question the motives behind those who are attempting to divide our country. It’s equally amazing to me there are those among us who would deny this is happening. I am here to tell you, it’s most definitely happening. There is an underlying current of divisiveness in how modern issues are presented to the public. The trans debate is a perfect example. I personally don’t care what someone wants to do with their life or how they want to live it. They’re free to do as they wish, that’s my stance with almost everything. Yet, there are those who would say my “laissez faire” approach is equally damning, since I’m not coming out in support of the cause of the day. My approach is my own and I have every right to it. To remove my right to act and feel as I do would be an attack on my personal freedom. This is every bit as damning as those accusing me of not supporting something that simply doesn’t impact my everyday life. It doesn’t mean I’m anti anything, I am simply pro personal freedom and liberty. If and when my kids are involved this approach may change or be refined, but personal freedoms are a bedrock of America. I’d point to the Bill of Rights in support of my argument.

There are pivotal moments in your life. The older you get, the more of them you have. The 9/11 attack was one of those moments for me. Not having served my country will always be one of my greatest regrets. I came close to joining post 9/11 but my brother (who had served and provided needed perspective) had the good sense to talk me out of it. Although I still regret not having served, making an emotional decision based on an act of war wasn’t the correct course of action for me at the time. My point is, patriotism for my country may have led me to a poor decision which may or may not have negatively impacted my life. It’s not always a good thing to be overly patriotic but it should always be our choice as Americans to display our pride in a way that doesn’t negatively impact others. 

I currently have a Gadsden (Don't Tread On Me) flag magnet on my mailbox. I’ve had a couple of people tell me this flag is often associated with right wing and/or white nationalist groups. My response is always the same, “this is a flag flown during the American Revolution and named after a member of the South Carolina Continental Congress.” I usually go on to further describe how the flag was used and why I have it displayed on my mailbox, mostly having to do with my love of American history. I almost always end with something to the effect of “they (meaning the white nationalists) can’t appropriate my flag.” Amazing what a conversation will do. I fully understand there are those who would form their own opinion without ever speaking to me about it, that’s the risk I take. This is no different than someone of Indian heritage painting a swastika on their house, which is a symbol of prosperity in their culture. Their swastika doesn’t make them a Nazi sympathizer any more than my Gadsden Flag makes me a white nationalist. I’m an American who loves the history of our country. My patriotism cannot be appropriated, I won’t allow it. 

Patriotism is often positioned as a negative. In order for us to truly move forward as a country, we need to spin this back around to a positive. I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again, America is not perfect. We can’t outlive our past by attempting to avoid discussions of slavery, Japanese prison camps during WWII or any number of military atrocities brought against the world in the auspices of freedom. What we can do is to have each other's back as Americans. Studying history will bring you closer to the truth, and the truth is, every country has its demons. Given our still young status in comparison to other countries, we're living ours for the world to see, but I truly believe we’re making progress. 

Liberty or Death is a motto formed during the American Revolution but it’s one I still live by today. I’d much rather be dead and buried than to give up my freedoms. Consider for a moment you don’t have the ability to read this blog, record your child’s dance recital at school or even say anything negative about our current administration for fear of retribution. To an American, freedom is as easy as breathing but to others, it’s as difficult as choking your last breath. Do not underestimate the value of your American pride or your sympathy for those who have died so you may live free. It may just be the difference between living free or dying under the weight of oppression as part of a futile resistance.