A friend who — for purposes of this discussion will and should remain nameless — walked into Cafe del Sol Friday and opened the discussion with a sneering "what’s with the flag waving?" He referred to that morning’s article on this web site that suggested we put partisan differences aside and approach the problems that face this nation as Americans.
The comment pissed me off. I decided to leave the coffee shop rather than say what was on my mind. I get angry when comments are made that, in my opinion, question my love of my country.
I am called many things: a gadfly, a cynic, a curmudgeon and a troublemaker among other names. I am all of those things and more. But the only label that I wear with pride is being called an American. As an American, I believe it is my right — and in many cases my duty — to question the leaders of my town, my county, my state and my country when I feel they are wrong but doing so does not mean I ever question my country or those who serve it by putting on a uniform and placing their lives on the line. I do not question the patriotism or love of country of those who hold different points of view and I expect to be shown the same respect for my beliefs.
I tried to open the New Year with a positive commentary that draws on American resolve and hope for the future. We — as a community and a nation — face serious challenges in the weeks and months ahead and we cannot begin to solve the problems with partisanship or a strident belief that our beliefs are superior to others.
We have become a society with contempt towards others with differing points of view and an intolerance towards ideas, philosophies, attitudes or lifestyles we don’t embrace or understand.
I’ve been as guilty as anyone in the past of being judgmental, dismissive and contemptuous of others. I realize now that the problems that threaten our way of life can be better resolved through cooperation, not confrontation.
We face a tough year ahead — perhaps several tough years. But we cannot overcome those problems if we insist that only Republicans or Democrats can succeed. We cannot succeed if we believe that only liberals or conservatives have the answers. We will fail if we believe that only the right or the left is the way to proceed.
Partisans cannot save this nation. Americans can.
I have to agree with you on this one 100%, Doug. If I don’t agree with someone on an issue, that’s just a difference of opinion and I’m not going to question their love of our country. I should say that I do happen to believe that love of humanity must take precedence over love of any institution regardless of what it may be.
I also believe that we should give up on the concept of rabid partisanship. A time comes when something has outlived its usefulness (if it ever had any)– a time to roll up the old and celebrate the new. That time has come for the United States.
It’s going to take some hard work too! Those who think the job is finished when they leave the voting booth and expect the government to fix all of our problems are going to be sorely dissapointed. President Obama is entering the highest office in the land on the crest of a wave of grass-roots effort. In the same way, he will expect us all to work together to create the United States of the future, a country that we can be proud of and that others will look to as an example of what’s possible if we put justice and love for our fellow human beings first. Government is a path of service, not a sport or a battle where you must always have the winner and the vanquished. In the long run, we must all win or we will all lose.
Is this flag waving? I don’t know. I have two favorite flags in my collection of flags and banners (I enjoy flags): one is the Stars and Stripes which I have loved since I was a child and the other is a flag picturing only the NASA photograph of Earth from space. If we don’t see these two ideas as related, the greatest experiment in government in the history of mankind and the reality of our being part of one planet flying through space, we’re probably not going to survive as a species.
If we’re not going to sit back and just let the economic and world political scene collapse on us, then what does your detractor propose to wave other than the flag? No. Wait! I think I already know.
I agree that partisanship won’t get the U.S. out of the trouble we are facing. That being said the incoming administration (along with many others in government) seem to think we can borrow our way out of trouble with a $1 trillion stimulus package. The federal government has been fiscally irresponsible for years (almost always running a big deficit in good and bad times). Am I cynical to doubt that they can get the country back on the right path? I think Americans will have to sacrifice to get the country back on track, but that message doesn’t seem to resonate with many. Hopefully I am misguided in my belief that spending lots of government money won’t make everything peaches and cream.