patriotism

[pepper74847]

Perhaps its just because I've watched yet another Frank Capra movie, but I've got patriotism on the mind. I suppose its also from a bit of a conversation with a certain person today, but I started thinking about how patriotic I am. Is it possible to love the basis and principles on which a country was founded, but not love many aspects of it today

Comments

[dmaz]

Did we have a conversation like this before?
Or am I just making that up?

[21daysandnights]

i like your icon... does that say i'm antiamerican?

[dance_to_this]

I think that especially in the area where we have grown up (based on the assumption that you've spent most of your life in dc), pre-911 it was weird to see an american flag. but when you get to more middle americaish places (and I hate to use the terms 'red america' or 'real america'), patriotism has always been more of an unquestionable way of life. in the past few years, patriotism has become more of a fad than anything else.. lately it's just been more mainstream and 'cool' to identify with middle america and patriotism and all that stuff that goes along with it.

I don't know how that contributes to anything you wrote up there, but I know I love the ideals that this country was founded upon (and am terribly afraid that these ideals are being compromised to advance this warped sense of 'patriotism' that people feel today) and I feel that things like flags and magnetic yellow ribbons for car are by no means necessary to show your true feelings-- basically, you don't need a flag to love your country. patriotism shouldn't be a

[minaminator]

First - I don't have any American flags or stickers and I'm perfectly patriotic.

A few random things:
- What happened to the American flag on the SFS campus - there's just a rusting pole there.
- Is burning the US flag unpatriotic?
- Why do people confuse patriotism with jingoism?
- Random American flags get weird looks? Maybe in NYC, LA, and DC. The McD's next to school had the biggest American flag (and that was way before 9/11). Now if the flags are hung upsidedown.....
- I don't buy American cars, or shoddy American goods. I consider THAT patriotic. My devoutly Republican friend's family only buys Toyotas. UAW recently prohibited military men from parking foreign made cars in their parking lot - what does that fall under?
- Democrats love the UN and assisting impoverished nations (generally non America-centric activities are looked kindly upon), but why do they insisit on "protecting" American jobs from rascally Indians?