Patriotism

Especially during national elections, I hear all too often the view that some candidate's position, comments or style is unpatriotic. What is patriotism and can patriotism really be reduced to wearing a US flag pin or setting off red, white and blue fireworks on Independence Day? For some, patriotism is supporting the President's position on any issue or taking offense if anyone, especially a foreigner, disagrees with US policy.

For me, patriotism means being a good citizen. A good citizen is an educated voter, someone who adheres to the laws and rules, someone who shows respect and consideration for others even in the little details of life such as driving and someone who acts in the nest interest of the country rather than the individual's best interest.

Voting is a privilege, OK a right, but also a responsibility. A responsible voter makes sure that they understand the issues and candidates' positions before they vote. Voting based on rumor (McCain had an out of wedlock mixed race daughter)), based on a headline without understanding the issue (green policies will cost jobs), personal biases (Obama is black) or primarily based on the benefit of the candidate's position to the voter rather than benefit to the country seems to me to be a perversion of the Democratic process and unpatriotic.

Our system depends on the rule of law which provides mechanisms (elections and courts) which can be used to change the laws when needed. A good citizen obeys the rules and laws even when they disagree with them or find the consequences of the rule or law a disadvantage to them. Too many Americans cheat on their taxes, claim unwarranted benefits such as disability or arrange for a handicap parking permit due to convenience rather than need and still say that they are patriotic. If you don't like the rules then try to change them but respect them until they are changed.

As far as voting based on what is best for the country rather than what is best for the individual voter, consider the following quote:

"A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves money from the Public Treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidate promising the most benefits from the Public Treasury with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy always followed by dictatorship." From: The Decline and Fall of the Athenian Republic, by Alexander Fraser Tyler.

It is not easy being an educated voter but it is necessary and beneficial to the country and the individual. Consider the debate about the need of going to war with Iraq prior to the invasion. People who disagreed with the policy advocated by President Bush's administration were called unpatriotic or worse. Too many people based their decision on the headlines such as Iraq was working with the people responsible for 9/11 or that Iraq had or was trying to acquire weapons of mass destruction. If more people had taken the time to read and objectively consider the dissenting information published by many including the NY TIMES and then written their elected representatives, it is possible that we would never have gone to war with Iraq. The majority of Americans now believe that invading Iraq was a mistake although in early 2003 the majority supported the war. After thousands of US casualties and huge expenditures that could have been used for more benefit, what has changed to cause this change in support for the war? Basically, the knowledge relating to Iraq has changed and more people now believe that Iraq wasn't working with the 9/11 terrorists, didn't have nuclear bombs and Iraqi oil couldn't pay for the cost of the war. All of this knowledge was available before the war if only more patriotic Americans would have taken the time to read about the issue rather than watching another reality TV show. All of us share the blame for the casualties and cost incurred in Iraq because we didn't do our job as citizens.

Next time you attend a Memorial Day parade, consider what it means to be patriotic.