Thoughts on Patriotism

Thoughts on Patriotism

Back in parochial school, the Sisters taught me that Patriotism was a virtue, along with honesty, charity, chastity, humility, temperance and the like.  Mainly, they taught me that virtues were to be quietly practiced to improve your character, not displayed for personal aggrandizement.  I am moved to write about this because of an experience I had today.  More about that later.

I was taught, and so I believe, that people who try to get others to notice and admire their virtues may have different motivations.  First, they may just be ignorant.  Second, they may be doing it because, in their heart of hearts, they know they really don't have that virtue.  When someone begins to tell you how honest he is, its time to check your wallet.  What about the person proud of his humility?

Third, and worst, are people that point out their virtue in order to accuse others, openly or implicitly, of not having that virtue.

Too much of what passes for political discourse today involves this third idea.  People with different ideas, different party, different ethnicity and the like cannot be patriotic because they don't agree with me!  On a daily basis, I hear people impugn the motives of people that disagree with them on an issue merely because they disagree.  There appears to be no comprehension that someone can have a political disagreement and still be patriotic.

Today, I was driving down the road and a large jacked-up pickup truck went by me, covered in political stickers, with a large 3 foot by 5 foot American flag hanging off of a PVC pipe in the back.  The "White Lives Matter" sticker looked pretty new. 

What message was that person trying to convey to me?   Certainly, that the size of his patriotism was reflected in the size of his flag.  Also, that his particular political affiliations showed that he was a "Patriot."  Implicitly, that people of other political persuasions were therefore not patriots.  Or. maybe, that people of a different skin color were not either.  

I have some issues with his presentation.  PVC pipe is not, perhaps, the best or most respectful flag pole.  At least paint over the specs.  The flag was hung right over the tailpipe, so it was looking dingy.  Finally, with the flag being whipped around at 65 miles an hour, it was getting a little tattered at the edges.  It was not, to my way of thinking, a respectful display.  It probably violates Federal Law, in fact.  According to the  US Code, "The flag should not be draped over the hood, top, sides, or back of a vehicle or of a railroad train or a boat. When the flag is displayed on a motorcar, the staff shall be fixed firmly to the chassis or clamped to the right fender."  You know, like in every movie you see of an official motorcade.  Stuck in the bed of a truck and lying over the tailgate is probably improper.

I have no illusions with regard to my own virtues, which are few and far between.  Perhaps this just goes to show my own lack of tolerance for other peoples' opinions.   I don't know.  I do know, however, that when a guy tells me how honest he is, I have to grab hold of my wallet.