Citizen
Patriotism in a Vacuum
We live in an age of knowledge collapse. Criminal prosecutors hide information and seek convictions rather than justice. The White House suppresses even the information created by its own appointees. Television networks increase their "news" coverage of murder by 600% during a time when the murder rate falls by 20%.
The Founders spoke of the need for an "informed populace." Information is now available only to those who seek it with discretion - those who have the leisure and the resources to discover what one needs to know to be an effective citizen. We are relegated to being consumers rather than citizens, cheerleaders rather than an informed populace.
Locally, the community newspapers now refuse to publish letters supporting candidates for office.
On the State level, most television viewers see State news less than twice per week. PBS radio has one segment of one program addressing State news.
Nationally, four hundred "journalists" have registered to cover one murder in Modesto. They will feature this as news for many weeks, eclipsing much that is surely more significant and relevant.
Twisting the dagger one more time in the dying body of informed populace the national press has focused prematurely on the 2004 presidential race, viewing it at a national level, and thereby denigrating the significance of local and regional participation in governance. denigrating the significance of the individual citizen.
Patriotism, a Simple Definition
Politicians and the general press associate patriotism with military service, sacrifice in times of national stress, and frequent literal flag waving. Military service is simply duty. Valiant military service is commendable execution of duty. Sacrifice is not usually optional and seems most often to be just a device for rallying the non-combatants. Literal flag waving today borders on flag desecration.
Patriotism, a Personal Definition
Patriotism is the execution of one's obligations as an American. Military duty is on the list somewhere, but so are
1) Be informed
2) Know the history and related geography of the United States
3) Know the place of the United States among nations
4) Vote
5) Exercise your political obligation
6) Especially, speak up for freedom when you should
Also on this list is, "Question Everything." There are those who make a great fuss about the potential for losing our freedom to some conquering nation. Anyone with eyes wide open can see the risk of losing our freedom to internal forces is much larger. Indeed, in my lifetime much has already been lost. Much more is threatened.
Patriotism is loving your country enough to look straight at it. See what is good and change whatever is not.
As patriots our responsibility is not in preserving something, it is in making something.
