Reflections on Patriotism

Contributed by Marilyn Bennett

What does having a flag on your property signify? Is flying the American flag now a divisive act?

It seems that every year, there are more and more people who are offended by our flag. The New York Times ran a story this year that seemed to state that our flag that was once a unifying symbol is now alienating to some. Who are those people who are alienated by our flag? The flag was designed to be inclusive of everyone, which is why two stars were added when Alaska and Hawaii were added to our Union as states.  

The flag is a symbol of respect for those who fought and died for the freedoms we all share. It is a shame that our schools are teaching our children to dislike their country and disrespect our flag and the national anthem. I watched several ivy league college students being asked if they were proud of being an American. They all stated that they were not proud and in fact were ashamed of this country. It doesn't seem to occur to them that the reason we are having such a problem at our borders is that many people in this world are willing to walk through water, climb walls and cross deserts to get into this country. Yet, these privileged college students think they are being cool by denigrating the most-free country that has ever existed.

It makes me sad, that behavior that has been normal since the founding of this country has suddenly become offensive. Our educational institutions are trying to make any patriotic display seem in poor taste or some kind of political statement. The schools are pushing a “Woke Culture” on our children that is dividing us into tribes. We were a nation that strived to be a melting pot of people. Over the years I have seen people from many nations come here, integrate into our society, intermarry and become one out of many.  

We learned to enjoy foods from around the world and fashion has taken on the styles of many nations and our music reflects a myriad of cultural traditions. The melding of many cultures and traditions has not always been smooth, but up until someone came up with the dumb idea of “celebrating diversity”, which led to “cultural appropriation”. The melting pot strived to unite people while the current landscape only divides us.

I do not understand what an athlete or celebrity is thinking of when they disrespect our flag or our anthem. Do they think they are doing a good thing? Who benefits from the negativity of disrespecting our country? These people seem to feel that they are sending a message that they want change, but what is their blueprint for such change? This country has witnessed many changes over the years and has survived. The Civil Rights Movement led by Martin Luther King brought in well needed change. Also, the Feminist Movement gave more equality for women in the workplace. Our country has been moving closer each year to the ideal of total equality of opportunity for everyone and this has been a good thing.

The current negative movements of defunding our police, denigrating our founders, tearing down statues and re-writing our history does not bode well for the future of our country. It is no longer a movement to improve our country, but just tear down and criticize. It is especially unsettling that our children are being given such a negative view of their country as this cannot make things better.

We are not, and have never been a perfect country, but we have more freedom than any country in the world. If we can throw off this terrible negativity that is dividing us, we can improve and grow even better together.