When I was in school we'd have pep rallies to get everyone into the spirit before a big game. The mascot came out, our colors were strewn all over the gym, cheerleaders kicked their feet and cartwheeled (my favorite part, of course). But I never really understood it. I didn't get why everyone was so excited - or why we should be. At the time, I thought my lack of understanding was due to my aversion to sports. I didn't care if our soccer team won or lost, so what was there to get excited about? Oh, I'd have fun. I'd play all the ridiculous games during homecoming week. (You know, homecoming is still a concept I don't understand - who the hell is coming home?) Nonethless, I never cared much for our colors, our song, our teams, etc.
As I've gotten older, I find that I'm still ambivolent when it comes to these communities. Whether it's high school or college, or state or nation, I just don't think of myself or others in that way. Here in Florida I know plenty of Gators and plenty of Seminoles. Thery're all really nice people - they even get along. But when the two teams play each other I find myself swimming in a mire of orange & blue and garnet & gold (garnet? wtf?).
This holds over to America as well. I'm an American. And I'm glad I am. Really. But I think I'd be just as glad to be British or French or German. I won't go so far as to say I'd be just as glad to be Vietnamese or Indian because I honestly know so little about their cultures or struggles. All that said, I find myself just as ambivolent on July 4th. It's not that I don't care - I do. But I've never been one to wave a flag or recite a pledge (any more than I recited a creed when I was a Christian). Does this make me a bad American?
My father flew four tours in Vietnam as a helicoptor pilot - hell, it's what ultimately killed him. I should be feverish in my outward devotion to my nation, shouldn't I? But I'm not.
I think this is why I tend to be so against war. To personally support a war, one has to truly care about the outcome. I care, but not about that. I'm always that silly guy that feels sorry for the losers. I feel as much pain toward our suffering soldiers as I do toward theirs. It's all sad in my view.
I understand that we had to fight to win our nationhood. I know that we've had to fight to keep it. I get it. I know we must defend ourselves - that's one of the main reasons we pay taxes. Fine. But I don't feel a surge of patriotic pride when I see pictures of our soldiers on the ground in some faraway place.
My ultimate point is this: aren't we all just people? Does it really matter that I was born inside one set of borders and someone else within another? Are we really the greatest nation on the planet? What does that even mean?
I understand that there are people living under dictatorships and zealous regimes. And I'm sorry that they are. But that's not what I'm talking about here. I'm talking about the apparent human need to belong to a community (ok, fine) and then zealously support that community (um, not so sure).
My friend, Jay, made a point in a comment to the post titled "On Faith". He said that he and Vicki had dicussed the fact that community theater feels a lot like a church community. I think that's really interesting. And I think I agree. So, I'm not just a member of the American community, but a member of the community theater community as well. Cool. But if it ever comes to oath-saying and flag-waving I'll probably bow out. I just don't see why the hell it matters which team I'm on. Who really cares other than the others on the same team?
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4 comments:
You're not alone. I have huge issues with the pledge and the flag. I think symbols and words are often used to replace actual feeling. The words are written for you. There's no need to actually THINK about what you're saying. It's why I'm registered Independent. Why I will not become a member of the ACLU. I want to make my own decisions. I don't want to be held to someone else's ideal: of my country, vote, or 'values'.
You CARE about July 4th??
Oh, and it's spelled AMBIVALENT.
It's called homecoming b/c it's supposedly the week when all the alumni "come home" to the school for a game weekend.
The most important application of what you're talking about is in the context of rights. Why do most people in this country believe that they are entitled to their rights, especially due process, because they are Americans?
Why is an "enemy combatant" who is a U.S. citizen (even though he never knew he was a citizen until he was imprisoned by the U.S.) entitled to hear the charges against him, confront his accuser, given access to a lawyer, etc. while hundreds of "enemy combatants" who are not Americans are denied these rights?
Rights are a function of being a human, not a perk that comes with being an American. Rights are about fairness, and you can't treat some people more fairly than others - it's just not fair.
People (including most of the Supreme Court) don't seem to get that.
Thank you both.
Yeah, Amanda, I do care about July 4th. I don't necessarily care to celebrate it, but its meaning is important to me.
And Adam, thank you for saying better in one paragraph what I was trying to say in ten. And thanks for being the first person to help me understand homecoming. I always thought it was the team coming home.
I think he answered his own question. Americans think they are entitled to their rights because they made them and they fight for them (good or bad) and way back when...they wrote them. Sure, the Framers spoke of "certain unalienable rights" for everyone and they believed that to their very core. But not everyone believes in the same set of rights for the same set of people. Then you get into a numbers argument. Many millions and millions of Muslims have been living in an excessively patriarchal society for thousands of years. They say women have very few rights. Do I agree with it? No. Would I stand for it here? No. Do I respect a culture enough not to stick my big fucking nose in there? Yes! (I know we need oil from these guys and that's fine. But they really are the only player when it comes to that and it's hard to change the practices of somebody when you really NEED something from them...isn't in Mr Gates?) My bottom line is this. Americans get America's rights. We put into the system, we get the perks! You, who do NOT like our way of life, do NOT get all of our perks, If I fight you in a war and get captured I don't get to flash my america card and get to see my court appointed attourney.
I may think the POTUS is a real fucktard (and I do) but that does not change my views on war (Again I know this is not a traditional war) but the fact remains you get caught in a combat situation, you become a prisoner of war. I don't give a fuck if you're an American citizen or not. POW, period...maybe afterwards we put you on civilian trial.
Fairness is a matter of perception and popular belief. 2000 years ago slavery was ok. No questions asked. No eyebrows raised... it was fine even expected. Are all those people burning it there own hells right now? Hell, right and wrong are just perceptions and popular belief! Just add a little "time" in to grease the wheel. There are no definites in life...can you really tell somone they are wrong? All you have to do is convice a couple of billion people to change there mind adn POOF! problem solved...
This is why they won't let me run the world!
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