Posted on 04/29/2002 7:29:55 PM PDT by gohabsgo
What is it about being American that is so embarrassing to our leaders? Perhaps its the discourteous message printed on our currency: "In God we trust." Or maybe it’s the divisive lyrics of the National Anthem? Could it be trepidation over elders describing the reassuring impact of Kate Smith singing "God Bless America" while rallying the American people behind U.S. soldiers on D-Day and the Invasion of Europe? Are our school kids even permitted to know who Kate Smith is (excepting Philadelphia Flyers fans)? For bonus points, see if you can guess the year grades in Citizenship were obliterated from government schools?
Maybe it’s the selfless attitude of the founding fathers, reduced to caricature status as "stupid white men" by patriots like Michael Moore. Whatever it is, there is a clear predilection to downplay features traditionally associated with being American: like duty, honor, country, and citizenship. In all seriousness, it is naïve to assume our "leaders" actively and patriotically maintain a healthy and objective bias in favor of the American republic.
Does anyone else see this? Is having pride in your country, the same country every immigrant in the world strives to enter either legally or illegally, a crime? When so many people thirst to arrive on our shores, it still puzzles me why many on the left strive so diligently to discredit America as a "racist, bigoted, xenophobic" nation, a nation that, according the Georgia Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney "brought 9/11 on itself."
Why?
Is it the lawyers who couldn’t give a rats behind who they are defending as long as they have a paying client? Is it the TV cameras who turn outrageous opportunists like Stanley Cohen into poster boys? Or is it just our valueless entertainment-based society inundating all with morally neutral pap, rather than challenging us to think critically, to respect character, integrity and reputation?
Media dry-humorist Ben Stein said that "the attitudes of the people who create television coincide almost exactly with the picture on television." Every message, nuance, wink, attitude, cheapshot, positive characterization, and negative depiction, is indeed, intentional. The question is, are you discriminating and mentally agile enough to understand what they are trying to achieve, and more importantly: do you care?
How often have you witnessed a broadcast involving an outright attack on the common sense intentions of an American patriot? A patriot is often characterized by the left as a nationalist, a loyalist, and a chauvinist. You’ve heard the feminist term "chauvinist pig" to describe everything bad about being male? I ran the thesaurus on my dated version of Word (6.0), and guess what synonymous terms appeared for "chauvinist" (a word associated with patriot). Ready?
Nazi, authoritarian, racist, dictator, anti-communist, fascist. Now high school for me was back in the mid 70s’, but if today I was an impressionable lad doing a research project on patriotism, sacrifice, and an abiding love for one’s country, it’s reasonable to deduce that using these "objective tools," my conclusion might be decidedly negative toward my country, and its intentions. Anybody putting the pieces together yet?
Tiptoeing around the tulips doesn’t work. It doesn’t work when disciplining a child who needs strong and constructive guidance, and it fails when attempting to isolate truth out of a thicket of neutrality and deliberate vacillation. Take a look at your local newspaper and ask yourself why it is so exasperating. Editorial scions enforce a blanket policy NOT to exercise judgment. However, this disclaimer is in and of itself deceptive, not so much by what they decide to INCLUDE, but confirmed by what they decide to EXCLUDE.
Three extraordinarily influential news syndicates rule the "mainstream" media: UPI, AP and Reuters. In a sense, if you rely on them for information to guide your life, they own your mind, because their stories run in most national newspapers. Is it too far of a stretch to comprehend the opinion dominion should these entities decide to malign and falsely contradict the culture and belief system of your nation?
Fearing liberal reprisals for making value judgments favoring the majority interests of America, consider the following. President Bush has done an outstanding job on the war front, but our borders still remain as porous as Swiss cheese. Even with 80% of the country in favor of a freeze on immigration until our domestic house is safeguarded from outsiders wishing to do us additional harm, Washington refuses to enforce immigration law to our detriment. And God help anyone who exercises the "irrational judgment," to talk about the issue. I suppose it’s anti-American now to enforce the law.
Anyone recall the big to-do over entering the Winter 2002 Olympics with the flag recovered from the WTC rubble? How difficult would it have been to have just said "look, the games are being held in the U.S., we’ve never been attacked like this in our history, do you mind?" Eventually, the flag did have its befitting entrance, but why was the obvious so complicated?
Perhaps the better question might be, what symbols of America are truly worth defending? Hmmmm, let’s see: we can’t fly the American flag at the U.N., even though we foot the bill in the host country. The 10 Commandments, a basic ingredient of the values incorporated in our Constitution, are regularly stripped from public display at court houses. Invocational prayers preceding sessions of government are regularly challenged to the point of absurdity.
The United States is the last great hope for the West. European nations squabble over diminishing influence and credibility in world affairs. And who’s fault is that? Something bad happens, it’s the U.S. to the rescue with billions in humanitarian aid. Reconstruction after wars? No problem. Uncle Sam is ready with the checkbook. Both Japan and Germany are economic powerhouses that never would have occurred but for the generosity of the U.S. Now they are both good allies. That’s how it works. Yet one glance at the gratitude of Saudi Arabia and the handwork of 15 of their murderous American-based hijackers, and who needs enemies?
According to Bruce Thornton, Professor of Classics at Cal State, Fresno in his article "France: Reaping the Whirlwind of Multiculturalism," http://www.frontpagemag.com/guestcolumnists2002/thornton/thornton04-26-02.htm
"the multiculturalist's denial of the unique achievements of the West, and his assertion of the superiority of various cultures he wouldn't live in for five seconds, some day will bear bitter fruit as ever larger numbers of unassimilated, resentful immigrants reject ever more violently the values that make Western prosperity, freedom, and equality possible."
The American multiculturalist left exploits this premise, resolutely guiding the education front of the "fearing to be American" blueprint with rhetorical intimidation. Take the single issue of loyalty to the flag, expressed by government school students. Districts are literally forced to surrender under an avalanche of ACLU lawsuits attacking the Pledge of Allegiance. However, the ACLU was taken quite aback when one month after 9/11, the AP reported that, "children are reciting the Pledge of Allegiance (with those ominous words, "one nation under God"). Signs proclaiming "God Bless America"' proliferate in public schools. The ACLU is agitated."
As the guardians of multiculturalism and secularism look on with growing apprehension, why do our "leaders" jettison expressions of what it means to be an American, so common and accepted up until the 60’s? Because they are chickens flapping their wings, smiling for the camera, saying nothing of value, while dispatching bloviators like Bill Bennett to convince everyone that they have not capitulated to the radical left.
As Thornton continued in his article, "pride in one's nation and culture, and resentment at those who denigrate it, are not inherently noxious. But when consistently scorned and denied, they can become destructive indeed. Le Pen may just be the beginning of the French elite's lesson in the costs of cultural relativism and fashionable self-loathing." What is happening in France should prompt American political leaders to recognize that to disown, repudiate, and apologize for the best attributes and qualities of this wonderful nation, is to equally promote, encourage, and exonerate its worst.
Those who treasure the extraordinary benevolence and hospitality of this country, are the ones who realize that we bend over backward for everyone but ourselves. At times it seems we strive more to resemble new arrivals than they do to resemble us. And sadly, those who condemn and disparage the U.S., while capitalizing on its abundant wealth, will only have themselves to blame when they are revealed for who they are and what they are attempting to get away with. That’s if anyone cares or is foolish enough to call them on it.
On January 26, 1982, President Reagan delivered his State of the Union Address, and discussed the emotions he felt when discussing American hero Jeremiah Denton, a Vietnam POW who spent seven years and seven months as a prisoner of war, suffering severe mistreatment and becoming the first U.S. military captive to be subjected to four years of solitary confinement.
"We don't have to turn to our history books for heroes. They are all around us. One who sits among you here tonight epitomized that heroism at the end of the longest imprisonment ever inflicted on men of our armed forces. Who will ever forget that night when we waited for the television to bring us the scene of that first plane landing at Clark Field in the Philippines--bringing our POWs home. The plane door opened and Jeremiah Denton came slowly down the ramp. He caught sight of our flag, saluted, and in a trembling voice said, 'God Bless America.' Then thanked us for bringing him home."
It is high time for our political leaders to start feeling less embarrassed and ashamed about being American, and focus more on the sacrifice required to defend this nation in the coming years, no matter how much guilt they may feel for offending anybody. And as an eternal optimist, I think they’re getting it. They just won’t admit it.
Maybe because they are gutless, spineless wimps. Suppose? BTW, I remember Kate Smith in the Philadelphia Spectrum.
Fire Clarke!!!
1963, the same year class schedulers became emotional counselors.
Fire Clarke!!!
No, just hire Lalime and Alfredson.
Well, I don't have a very high opinion of Colin Powell, but hasn't the State Dept pretty much been anti American for many years?
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