Some people answer this question by saying "Well, you have to be patriotic to be an American", or "Being an American means the freedom to say and do whatever you damn well want". One theme that seems to reoccur when I or someone else is asked what it means to be an American is that of vagueness.
Well Aaron, what do you mean by vagueness? Let me explain...
Let me start by talking about my first example, the idea that being an American means being patriotic. First off, since when has patriotism been a solely "American" idea? Now, in no way am I attacking people who believe that part of being an American is being patriotic (i.e. voting, supporting the troops, and other equally vague things), however, when I hear that connection between being American and being patriotic, I think to myself "Well, aren't Italians proud to be Italian, or aren't Iranians proud to be from Iran?". What this question does to my mind is this: patriotism is a vague idea and concept. End of story.....well, not really, I should probably explain.
To one person, patriotism may mean taking up arms against "those" who deny others freedom. To another person, patriotism may mean questioning the very principles that you have been taught since a young child. For some reason, when I hear patriotism, I think of Veteran's Day. To me, there is nothing more "patriotic" than dying for something you believe in. For me, the fact that there have been people in my country and other countries as well who were willing to trade their lives for something larger than themselves, that is a feat worthy of eternal life and eternal remembrance.
My second example, which stated that part of being an American consisted of the freedom to say whatever you want, is equally as vague as patriotism. While we Americans enjoy the freedom to say almost anything (well, we can't really say ABSOLUTELY anything, for example, try yelling fire in a crowded building and see if you don't get fined or arrested) we want, don't other nations and peoples have this right too? The answer is yes and no, most likely. For example, I'm pretty sure that some bloke in London can call the Queen of England a pasty faced powerless monarch and still return home alive that night, however, at the same time, protestors in Iran who believed that the state fixed their election could not even protest due to fear from and physical threats by their government.
Now, why have I wrote all of this nonsense in which nobody will probably read? Well, it's simple. Being American is not clear cut, baseball and apple pie goodness. Being American means different things to different people. Furthermore, aside from being American, or being Japanese, English, or French, the most important thing to remember is that we are ALL citizens of Planet Earth (as tree hugging as this sounds) and not all of us have the same or equal rights.
So, the next time you hear somebody say that they are proud to be American, maybe remember that we should probably be thankful to be Americans, and compared to some people who live on our planet as well, we don't really have a whole lot to bitch about.
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ReplyDeleteIf you believe that American means different things to different people, maybe you should explain what it means to you. Even if you will never be able to fully understand, comprehend, and answer fully it, at least elaborate.
ReplyDeleteTo me America represents political progress. We as a country have many faults, as do most things human. However, it is important to remember that our democracy is a political experiment. We are the Forerunners of democratic living. America is the trial to prove that fairness, equality, and freedom are perspectives that can be realistically achieved by government so long as it is regulated and powered by the people.
We aren't the best, we're just a part of a cycle to master human management for progressing our species as a whole. Patriotism then, to me, is taking part and participating in that scientific endeavor. It means supporting the government when it does well and crumbling it to the ground when it defies our demands for social progress.
Patriotism is relative between people and certainly between people of different countries. Like you said, it is different for everyone. But in the end I think being Patriotic means having trust in your country. More like having faith than proof. That's how people can be patriotic in their respected countries; because no one is right or wrong. It comes down to faith.
What about you?
Thanks Andy, I completely see what your saying. I like how you say that patriotism is having faith and moving forward (political progress). Faith, I believe, is something important to have, especially in times that test your trust in what are usually constants in your life.
ReplyDeleteFor me, patriotism is believing and acting toward something that is larger than yourself. A good example that comes to my mind is volunteering. To volunteer your time toward something, whether it be feeding the homeless or tutoring kids, the idea that an individual person can do something positive for someone else, without financial gain, is truly patriotic.
Therefore, I also think that patriotism also means helping others. Even though, and like you said, our country has problems, we have such high standards of living in the United States that, with our own free time, we can help others and do things that are larger than ourselves.
However, faith keeps on coming back to my mind, with the idea that you very rightly pointed out, that our country is still in the experimental process. To me, volunteerism is one of the ways that I think our country will benefit from and move ahead toward a more perfect union (sorry, I could not resist).