Patriot Pride: No, not those Pats

Four months ago the most fashionable things around were sweater coats. Now, it’s the American Flag. Four months ago you only heard the phrase “God Bless America” at the end of election speeches. Now, it’s overtaken “Wassssssup” as the most popular catch phrase on television. Do not get me wrong, I consider myself to be patriotic. I just find it odd how people who have never registered to vote and who skip jury duty can proudly display the American Flag.

Being a patriot simply doesn’t mean hanging a flag on your car because of a senseless act of terrorism. Where was this sense of patriotism in this country before the unspeakable acts of Sept. 11? It was non-existent.

There was a time in our country when people stood and sang the National Anthem at the start of sporting events. There was a time when men didn’t need to be reminded to take off their hats and put them over their hearts when Francis Scott Key’s great opus began to play. Even after the events of September I still see kids wearing their hats during “The Star Spangled Banner.” What I find even more disturbing, you often see their father right next to them, with their hats on too.

The problem with America is that we are a society of victims. Everything has to be about something directly affecting us. We like to have things to complain about. We like to have a chip on our collective shoulder. We are a country that was forged in war, and it’s in that fire that we like to stay. We need to take all the collective problems we have and focus all that energy on one thing and fight that one thing like hell. That’s what our society is all about.

Right now our collective energy is focused on terrorism and its attempts to break down our nation. So what do we do?

We fly American flags and musical artists do benefit concerts. I just have one question. Does anyone really think all the pro-American rage of post 9/11 can carry on forever? When will we as a society move to some other focus? When will the American flags come down and not be brought out until every Fourth of July?