The Many Faces Of Patriotism

I have an acquaintance who writes a column, Front Porch, for Spokane's Spokesman Review. Today she wrote a heartfelt recollection of the show of patriotism she witnessed in the recent Armed Forces Torchlight Parade. She had the privilege of riding with five Pearl Harbor survivors. There are so few left; their stories are riveting and should never, ever be forgotten. She came away from the experience with the hope that patriotism is alive and well.

I believe it is too and signs of it go beyond people applauding and cheering veterans in parades. Considering politics has politicized patriotism to the point of labeling those who don't agree with one side or the other as unpatriotic, the people themselves are showing the truth of the matter.

Movements, be it Tea Party or otherwise, are letting the government know they are going too far in changing our America.

You see it in the number of veterans running for office.

You see it in the respect members of the military get on the street. It may not be spoken, but rather a nod of the head and a smile. It says the same thing.

You especially see it in a much more informed and passionate electorate. Don't mess with what made America great. We don't want to be like Europe. We don't want our President bowing to foreign leaders. We don't want our President blaming all that is wrong on the previous administration while duplicating those actions.

You see it in the ongoing primaries. It's time to clean house. On both sides of the aisle. It's happening. We're showing just who the patriots of this country are. It's all of us. For loving it and not leaving it. By being engaged rather than disinterested.

When kids cheer and clap and young boys doff their hats, you know it's catching on. Now if we can put in place a government that won't disappoint them with unfulfilled promises, we'll make consistent voters of them.

They are the future. If we can give that type of government to them as our legacy, we'll truly be patriots and they'll stand in good stead.

Memorial Day. A time for remembrance of the sacrifices of those who came before us and a time to remember what we must do to preserve that for which they made those sacrifices!

Fly the flag while you're at it.

Sweet Land Of Liberty

I feel so fortunate to be an American. I've watched, with the rest of the world, the death of a young Iranian woman, who in her death has become what a young, larger than life Presidential candidate came to symbolize to Americans, the symbol of hope and change. The tragedy is in the difference. One went on to the Presidency of our great and free nation, the other met an untimely death at the hands of unknown assailants struggling to retain dominance through tyranny.

We've had our bloody battles too. Long ago. The Revolutionary War to gain our independence, the Civil War retain it. Other nations, far older than our own, still struggle with the concept for they can't rid themselves of leadership that cares more for the power than their country. Freedom, in any guise, comes with a price. Nedra exemplifies the current struggle in Iran. There have been others. The Wall Street Journal tells of a 19 year old who was shot in the head for standing at an intersection in Tehran. Others are backing away from the protests because they're not quite ready to die.

To die. That is the high price of freedom. The innocent, the non-political, the elderly and the children, the civilians and the military, the terrorists and the peace makers all die.

It is a deplorable part of the human condition; the necessity to overcome abusive power with human life.

In America we've passed that point. In this country I can sit at my computer and rail against our government without fear of retribution. I have readers that vehemently disagree with many of my positions yet we remain friends. At the very least we remain civil. Or turn away. Without violence. Without fear.

In this country when we want a change in leadership we have elections where the votes are counted. The losers concede, the power shifts and the country continues on. Without violence. Without fear.

What we get are Presidents, appointed and elected officials who are not perfect any more than those who elect them. It's the admission of that lack of perfection that allows the dialogue that keeps the country moving forward. Sure we have our philosophical battles. One has to wonder at times what the rest of the world thinks, but this is our country. We elect them and if they disappoint we'll deal with them. That's how it works when a country is free from the fear the people of Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan and so may others constantly experience.

This is probably a reason, in what is some times over exuberance for our ways, that we intrude where we are not welcome. We know what we have and we wish others the same.

Yes. I can be an equal opportunity basher of government, no matter who is in power. I can like our President and disagree with what he does. I can voice it. Without violence. Without fear.

I can walk outside, sit down and scratch my dog's ears. Without violence. Without fear. How great is that? It's America.

Loose Lips And Fact Free

I'm tired of looking at pictures of Sarah Palin so when I saw this I thought it made a good metaphor. Old Navy man John McCain being the ship. Hahahahaaaa.

Yep. It's all beginning to get to me. I read Bill Crystal's pander to Palin in the New York Times and thought there she goes again!

Crystal was having a little chat with Sarah discussing among other things Obama's associations with Reverend Jeremiah Wright and William Ayers. Now, we knew Wright was going to be resurrected didn't we? Specifically he wanted to know if Wright wasn't in fact the bigger issue because of Obama's closer connection with him.

She had this to say:

"To tell you the truth, Bill, I don’t know why that association isn’t discussed more, because those were appalling things that that pastor had said about our great country, and to have sat in the pews for 20 years and listened to that — with, I don’t know, a sense of condoning it, I guess, because he didn’t get up and leave — to me, that does say something about character..."

Discussed more? Where were you during the primaries, honey? It was beaten to death and then some!

First, it was explained, ad nauseam, that Reverand Wright did not spend every single sermon lambasting America. And, by checking the dates of the offensive sermons against Obama's schedule found his claims that he was not present to be true.

Oh, I'm getting so weary of Ms. Palin playing catch up and in so doing not doing her homework. Attacking Obama's character can be treading on thin ice. There is the Keating Five issue with McCain now getting some play; there is his Brazilian hottie and the treatment of his first wife that are all ripe for exploitation.

As for Palin, it's out there honey - your alleged affair with your husband's one time business partner not to mention hubby's involvement with a secessionist group. If seceding from the United States isn't anti-American I don't know what is!

Oh yeah, it's all out there. The bloggers have been having a field day with it. The main stream press is beginning to pick it up. But don't blame them for gottcha journalism.

Gottcha!

There are Mavericks And Then Some

If I were John McCain and/or Sarah Palin I might not want to be bragging about their status as mavericks right at the moment.

Okay, that may be a stretch, but when I saw the Washington Post story on Josh Howard of the Dallas Mavericks, the term definitely caught my eye. Already an NBA problem child, this dissing the national anthem because he's black is now all over You Tube.

I have little good to say about these over paid, under educated man/boys who because of athletic prowess get way too much way too soon. They are a rather repugnant combination of arrogant and petulant. Brett Farve's recent bout with the Green Bay Packers comes immediately to mind.

What bothers me about the Howard story is that team owner Mark Cuban has sluffed it off as just another unsavory incident by one of his problem children. How disgusting. I'm sorry. Mr. Cuban's attitude, along with the almighty dollar, is a huge part of the problem.

And what a slap in the face of the Barack Obama's of the world. You don't suppose Howard and his ilk are part of the reason there is still a bit of racism hovering over this election, do you? Here is a graduate of Wake Forest who can't seem to stay out of trouble with the law. He is a professional basketball player. His 2008 salary is $9,500, 000. He is a disgrace to his race and his profession.

Oh, in case you can't quite understand the video, this is what he said: "The Star Spangled Banner is going on right now. I don't even celebrate that (expletive). I'm black."

I doubt he has it in him to realize what a pathetic example of a man he is. He is a Black American, college educated and rich beyond the wildest dreams of most of us. He owes us an apology. And you know what? He especially ought to apologize to Barack Obama.

The Media And Messianic Politics

I browse a lot of the international press websites. There is often information there we do not get in the U.S. as well as a perspective on us that we usually don't have of ourselves. Such is the reason for this post.

I'm hoping this will be one of, if not the, last post I do on Sarah Palin. However, with all the hyperbole regarding Obama's former pastor, Reverend Wright, I find it interesting to learn Ms. Palin also has a rather controversial minister behind her.

First I would like to lay out some speculation. The obvious is, the sooner we quit obsessing over Ms. Palin, the sooner she will go away. John McCain is the Presidential candidate.

Considering how little regard McCain has for the office of Vice President, I do not see Ms. Palin being given much to do after the election. McCain wants it too much to "share" it with his V.P. I would guess he harbors some chauvinistic tendencies that also contribute to this assumption. Therefore, I assume, he is "using" her strictly for political expedience rather than for what she brings to the ticket. He needs the Christian Conservatives and the women who will fall for this ploy.


That being said, the following headline caught my attention on the London Times online site: Palin linked electoral success to prayer of Kenyan witchhunter . The first paragraph reads : "The pastor whose prayer Sarah Palin says helped her to become governor of Alaska founded his ministry with a witchhunt against a Kenyan woman who he accused of causing car accidents through demonic spells."

That should be enough to give you the gist of the story. One can never be sure how much is true but it is worthy of a read and especially a look at the video that is referred to.

I admit I do not relate to the thigh slapping, rapture inspiring rhetoric of a lot of religions. I am more the type who appreciates a greater power by watching the squadrons of geese looking for wintering grounds this time of year. Or my fence line of awesome sunflowers, as big as dinner plates, in full bloom. I left behind the idea, long ago, that faith and doom and gloom are compatible.

Neither is "faith" and political expediency. McCain left behind his Episcopalian faith to become a Baptist. There is nothing wrong with this but I do look at the timing and question why.

Ms. Palin is very open about her faith, but it is important to know what it is that faith espouses. Watch and listen to the video clip. Form your own opinion.

I'm personally very uncomfortable with what I saw and heard. I'm also very uncomfortable with the fact I had to visit a London paper's link to learn of it.

Does Anyone Really Care?

Well, one of the Baldwin boys is at it again! Threatening to leave the country if (fill in the blank) is elected! This time it's Stephen talking with Laura Ingraham about Obama. Don't you just love it? They never seem to actually go!

One of the great things about blogging is that it can be a cathartic outlet for pent up passions. Heaven knows I use my blog in that manner. Probably more than I should.

What's even better, however, is that we can do this and know we don't have to leave the country for saying what we do. Granted, there are a lot of places Mr. Baldwin can go, but he'd best research his choice.

Though the current administration has been one of the least stellar in recent history when it comes to stripping us of our Constitutional rights, the actions are nothing that cannot be reversed when sanity returns to the White House.

That being said, no matter who wins the Presidency, I'll not be going anywhere. I will still be proud to be an American. I don't know. It's like a family thing when you're ticked off at someone and state you love them but at the moment don't like them very much. So it is with citizenry and our relationship with our government.

So go on you way, Mr. Baldwin, and take all the like minded naysayers with you. I defy you to find a place where you have it as good as you have it here.

With all the hoo ha about patriotism being bandied about regarding the candidates and their spouses, I've yet to hear one state they'd leave the country if (fill in the blank) is elected. Like any relationship, there is good and bad, ups and downs. Hub and I have had our share and will probably have some more, however, having been together longer than our ages when we married we'd no sooner leave one another than we would our country.

Preconceived Notions Versus Inner Honesty

Awhile back I participated on a panel about blogging; I wore a pant suit and a lapel pin on my jacket. What does it tell you about me? Absolutely nothing.

It is a lapel pin, never-the-less. Does it mean that I am less than patriotic because it is not a flag? Or that I wish I was Swiss because it's a Saint Bernard? No.

Does it matter that my maiden name is German? Does that make me, or my father, a Nazi sympathizer? Does it mean I'm not one of "us"? Of course not.

Does the fact that I am in my mid sixties, white and female make me an automatic supporter of Hillary? No again.

So why do I find an AP story headlined Racial attitudes pose a challenge for Obama so troublesome? Because not so latent racism is still out there lurking too close to the surface for comfort. It is an issue to be addressed, but more so by ourselves than by Obama.

When voters say things like "A black man is never going to win Pennsylvania" or "His middle name bothers me a lot" and "He doesn't wear a flag pin", it seems disingenuous. Why isn't a black man ever going to win Pennsylvania? Give me a reason. A real reason. Prejudice.

Once upon a time we were the nation of immigrants; the great melting pot. Now others do it far better. We still hang onto our "me" mentality. Hillary had to have time to get used to the idea she wouldn't be the nominee. That's how the media framed it. It was all about her. In truth, it was not her mindset. She was still fighting for the nomination and probably is still trying to figure out how to pull it off.

We need to get outside of ourselves, our preconceived fears and our lame rationales. We need to judge our potential leaders on their actual strength of character and ideas rather than our imaginings of stereotypes. We do those who would serve, no matter their gender, religion or race, a disservice; we do ourselves a greater one. Great potential is being wasted.

If we can't get beyond what has bubbled to the surface during this primary season, the world will no longer watch with anticipation for the return of our greatness; they'll turn away, get on with their own business and leave us wondering why.

Lunatic "Fringe"

In a recent commercial for Dunkin' Donuts, talk show host Rachael Ray was wearing a fringed scarf with a paisley print. Obviously she is not exactly a fashion plate. It makes the image too busy, taking away from the product. At least that's how I see it.

Bear in mind I'm just a simple blogger, not a famous syndicated columnist and Fox News commentator.

That credential belongs to Michelle Malkin who sees the scarf as something entirely different. To her it resembles a kiffiyeh, a traditional headdress worn by middle eastern men. Malkin, however sees it as a garment made popular by the late Yassar Arafat and worn by Muslim terrorists as seen in beheading and hostage videos.

Oh, my. It's bad enough our government officials see a potential terrorist in each and every one of us. Now its news commentators. Come on! Rachael Ray?

Take a good look at both. Do you see any resemblance between one and the other? Bingo! Good eyes. They are both black and white!

To add to the lunacy, Dunkin' Donuts caved (oops, wrong connotation) into the furor raised by Malkin's comments and pulled the ad.

I'm going to ask Hub to make the coffee extra strong in the morning. I'm going to need it just to get through the day knowing that while I wait at Starbucks while he gets his hair cut there might be another Rachael Ray lurking behind a newspaper at the table next to me. And knowing the likes of Michelle Malkin are allowed to vote!

Flag Pins And Patriots

The talking heads were at it again last night. It would seem Obama was making a speech to a veterans' group and there on his lapel, as obvious as it could be, was an American Flag lapel pin. Was he pandering to the veterans? Has he finally seen the light? Now. Can we put that topic to rest?

No. Rather than digging into his ideas about how he plans to extricate us from the war, or the points of his health care plan versus Hillary's or what he will do in reality about gas and food prices, all they could talk about was that he was wearing a flag pin. Never mind that neither McCain nor Hillary sport one; it seems to be huge issue with Obama.

So let's look at just what a patriot is.

patriot |ˈpātrēət|
noun
1 a person who vigorously supports their country and is prepared to defend it against enemies or detractors.

By that criteria one would have to look at both Clinton and McCain. Is it a show of patriotism to knowingly and deliberately tear down a fellow candidate for the sake of winning? Is that vigorous support of country or self?

Is it patriotic to ignore corruption at the highest levels of Iraqi politics because it might prove embarrassing as reported in an AP article in this morning's Spokesman Review ?

This story got barely a mention on the news compared to the non-stop discussion of Obama's lapel pin. It is an important story, a not unexpected story and a disturbing story; especially now that there is a groundswell to get Rice on the McCain ticket to balance what presumptive candidate Obama may do.

Come on, talking heads, get with the program. You remind me of a bunch of high school gossips wondering "does she or doesn't she"?

We have huge issues facing us. We deserve better from those who's job it is to inform us. Tonight is the West Virginia primary. The win is expected to go to Hillary. What we'll hear is how wining this small, poor and mostly under informed segment of the population should propel her to the nomination.

What we should hear is why. What we should hear is why this particular demographic should outweigh everyone else who has and has yet to vote. What we should hear is why she appeals to this demographic and he does not since there is so little difference in their policies. If it's a race issue let's hear it. Front and center.

But we won't. We'll hear about her debt to herself. We'll hear how she deserves to wait to exit in her own good time. All that stuff of substance we really need to know.

Patriotism. All in good time.