Exalt The Just Pride of Patriotism

As children, we learn to understand our own identities, then the relationship to our parents and family members, then to our teachers and our school, and perhaps to our faith.  Little by little, we paint a more detailed picture of ourselves, situated as we are within various social, economic, religious, geographic, and political ideologies.  I remember what it felt like to be a child in the early 60s, learning the meaning of America.  We were taught pride in our country, our leaders, our soldiers, and our lands.  We sang ‘God Bless America,’ ‘This Land is Your Land,’ and ‘The Star Spangled Banner.’  We learned to react with awe at images of the Capitol Building with its massive dome, the Lincoln Memorial with its pensive hero of equality, and the Statue of Liberty—another nation’s tribute to our independence.

I remember asking the naïve question, “What’s so special about America?”  It was explained to me that in other countries, people were not free as we were.  As a child, I did not understand this concept of liberty because I did not have the right to do anything I pleased.  What made us free?  I was also told that other countries were jealous of our liberty.  Wars were the result of their trying to take freedom away from us.  I had images in my head of a family from Russia banishing us from our home while a small Russian girl slept in my pink-sheeted bed.

I have difficulty reconciling the America of my youth with the world I see around me.  The Patriotism of my Cold War youth seemed productive and unifying, until the Vietnam War made us all rethink everything we knew about America’s role in the world.  Now, I am shocked by the bickering within our government, the disrespect toward our elected leaders, and the poor examples we set abroad.   I am certain that much of this contrast is just my own coming of age.  Still I wonder:  Is nationalism obsolete in a globally-enabled world?  Is the balance of power shifting away from the US?  Must we retain “superpower” status in order to protect our own freedoms?  And who is steering the ship?

When I become disillusioned about the direction of America, and confused about my own point of view, I pull out George Washington’s Farewell Address and reread it.  Few people understand how much America owes to its first leader, certainly a president with the astute wisdom of King Solomon.  He possessed the rare qualities that unified rather than polarized.  His advice is eerily prescient in today’s world—a beacon whose light should continue to point the way.  

I urge everyone to follow the link above and read Washington's Address.

Tomorrow's blog:  My Key to Key Lime Pie