Peace and Patriotism (my title: Don't call them Patriotic)

While out shopping, I saw some people on a corner waving huge peace flags and holding signs. They said things like "Bush Lied about WMD" and "Bring Them Home NOW." It was an interesting mix of people-- spreading from age 40 to 70 or so, men and women.

So I stopped to talk. The guy who organized it had lost a brother in Vietnam. He pulled out a picture showing his mother and brother in front of a Christmas tree a few days before he shipped out, and the last time they saw him alive. This guy saw a clear similarity between the two wars. He pointed out how low troop morale is in Iraq, which matches the pointless and seemingly hopeless nature of the engagement.

He offered me a bumper sticker that says "Peace is Patriotic" and shows part of an American flag with the stars replaced by doves. I accepted it, but had to think about his notion that the word "patriotic" should be reclaimed by people who want to be proud of their country because it is doing honorable things like working for peace.

I fully respect his point. But in the end, I just couldn't live with the word "Patriotic." I trimmed it off, so the sticker simply has the flag and says "Peace." Works for me.

(In a lighter moment, I realized that I could trim it to say "Peace is A Riot," but decided that was typical Kim humor that no one else would get. That happens to me a lot, and thankfully I am starting to be able to recognize such instances ahead of time.)

What's wrong with "Patriotic"? It implies a sense of country. For me, that sense is weakening over time. I feel kinship at various times with various groups of humans, from fellow meditators, to athletes, to family, to scientists, and sometimes simply to all of us homo sapiens. But I can find little reason to draw the boundary where the physical border of the US lies. Makes no sense to my brain.

The writer of this piece is Kim Allen, neice to WIlliam Ayers. WHile her views do not represent the entire liberal, socalist left, it does explain the mindset.

It explains why Obama was a long time wearing a flag pin or putting his hand over his heart during the pledge.

It explains "PEOPLE OF THE WORLD OUR TIME HAS COME!"

The indignation of the left at being called unpatriotic is a false indignation. Patriotism sets us apart from the rest of the world. It is completely against their agenda.

Posted on 10/26/2008 10:22:05 AM PDT by Protect the Bill of Rights

To Kim Allen, neice to WIlliam Ayers the entire liberal, socalist left; Heed these words for they apply to you.

What Teddy Roosevelt said of Pacifists

Theodore Roosevelt, America at War (1918)

All Americans of other race origin must act toward the countries from which their ancestors severally sprang as Washington and his associates in their day acted. Otherwise they are traitors to America. This applies especially today to all Americans of German blood who directly or indirectly in any manner support Germany as against the United States and the allies of the United States; it applies no less specifically to all American citizens of Irish blood who are led into following the same course, not by their love of Germany but by their hatred of England. One motive is as inexcusable as the other; and in each case the action is treasonable to the United States.

The professional pacifists have, during the last three years, proved themselves the evil enemies of their country. They now advocate an inconclusive peace. In so doing they have shown themselves to be the spiritual heirs of the Tories who in the name of peace opposed Washington, and of the “Copperheads” who in the name of peace opposed Lincoln. We regard these men and women as traitors to the republic; we regard them as traitors to the great cause of justice and humanity. This war is a war for the vital interests of America. When we fight for America abroad we save our children from fighting for America at home beside their own ruined hearthstones.

We believe that the large majority of Americans are proudly ready to fight to the last for the overthrow of the brutal German militarism which threatens America no less than every other civilized nation. We believe that it would be an act of baseness and infamy, an act of unworthy cowardice, and a betrayal of this country and of mankind to accept any peace except the peace of overwhelming victory, a peace based on the complete overthrow of the Prussianized Germany of the Hohenzollerns.

Change the enemy to Radical Islamists, abetted by the socialist left and the message is the same.

They are smart people, IQ anyway, but they can’t see anything other than what they see out their own window.

It's a common sense issue. I worked for a while for an office equipment technician, and they hired a new guy, one who had a degree (the rest of us were HS grads), and this character was hopeless.

Every repair call he made had to be redone, and the customer always insisted that we send someone else because he took so much time. He eventually left, but that was a classic case of someone with plenty of book-learnin' but no common sense. Kind of like far-left dimlibs today: Some of them are highly educated, but that isn't all you need.

I often see or hear the words “Peace Now, bring our troops home” My son is serving as a combat Marine in Iraq right now he is not concretive like me yet knows the score without our presents stability in the middle east would be hard to come by.

The one thing I can say that is often overlooked is the fact that unfortunately war is defining and the victor defines. For the sake of our country one must understand we must win what we take on or we ultimately louse and freedom will also!

Our enemies don’t like freedom and they sure will press on if we show weakness, we are Satin to them! My two cents

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.