Strangechord

From a letter in the recent issue of Adbusters:

“Consumption of ‘patriotic’ merchandise, coupled with ignorance of social problems in one’s own neighborhoods, defines a troubling symptom of postmodern society: grasping at externalities rather than embracing the American spirit. Hundreds of thousands of citizens settle for approved, packaged, patriotic expression available at their local Wal-Mart. What if even a smaller portion of Americans decided to contribute that money instead to projects that improved social conditions in their own community? Wouldn’t this constitute true patriotism?”

-Greg Hazen
Bowling Green, OH

All of the American flag bumper stickers in the world don’t add up to true national spirit. I read somewhere recently a fitting metaphor about love for one’s country. If your child ran out into the middle of traffic, wouldn’t the loving thing to do be to pull the child back? It is because one loves one’s country and believes in what is possible that one speaks up against the country’s atrocities. Why do some maintain that if you love America, the thing to do is shut up and just wave that flag?