A Day to be Independent

I am not a Patriot. Further, on this, the two hundred thirty-second anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, I am not celebrating. That is not to say that I never was a Patriot - I once was. Nor is it to say that I have always been as contemptuous of the Fourth of July as I am now - it was my favorite holiday for most of my adolescence and early adulthood. But, alas, that has all changed.

Before I proceed, I will clarify some definitions, as it helps to know what we are talking about. To do this, I'll pillage the online dictionaries Dictionary.com and Merriam-Webster.com to use whichever definitions sound most intelligent.

Patriot, from Dictionary.com - a person who loves, supports, and defends his or her country and its interests with devotion

Nationalist, from Merriam-Webster.com - an advocate of or believer in nationalism

Nationalism, from Merriam-Webster.com - loyalty and devotion to a nation; especially : a sense of national consciousness exalting one nation above all others and placing primary emphasis on promotion of its culture and
interests as opposed to those of other nations or supranational groups

Here is one of the biggest problems I have with being a Patriot. It is nationalism that favors us over everyone else. This tends to amount to collective self worship, especially on days like today. Most of the wars of the twentieth century, the bloodiest century in human history by the way, were nationalist driven wars. WWI and Archduke Ferdinand, WWII and the Axis powers, the global pissing match we call the Cold War, the bloodbath formerly know as Yugoslavia... And we celebrate this kind of sentiment with hot dogs and fireworks?

Being a Patriot once meant serving our countrymen. The word we use today traces back to the Latin word for countrymen, funny how that happens. It was about signing up to serve in uniform, being active in supporting the community, about teaching civic virtue and responsibility. Working towards a more perfect union became a prerequisite for success in business, politics, and everyday life, rightly so.

But that notion has subtly given way to the darker meaning of the word, and no one seems to notice. So we follow the piper, whose rhetoric has vastly changed while the words stay the same. It is good to serve our fellow man or woman, but that isn't enough, we must serve them at the expense of those fellows in other countries or those in this country from another country.

And our interests? Those lofty ideals that we should lovingly and supportingly promote over all other interests? They once were life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; the belief that ALL men (and women) are created equally and have certain inalienable rights and that these rights are a birthright that cannot be abridged without their consent; the statement that we are a new nation, conceived in liberty; and that America is a land of hope and opportunity, where the tired, sick, and huddled masses yearning to break free could find rest, respite, and freedom.

Are these still our interests? Is this great experiment - government of the people, by the people, and for the people - still on track? Or have we submitted again to the old world order, where identity was based the dirt one was born on and not the dreams one aspired to? Have we sold our dreams in pursuit of our gain in a world where, increasingly, everyone loses?

I fear that we have given up and sold out, which I why I have given up and stopped shooting fireworks. And in a country where being unpatriotic is the highest form of blasphemy, I am the greatest sinner. Does this mean I don't love my country? Sure. Does this mean I don't support her interests? Ok. Does this mean that my devotion leaves much more to be desired? Fine, desire away. There was a dream that was America, a calling, a new world order that we were to establish. We were to be the shining city on the hill, the beacon of liberty for all to see and emulate. Our lot was to elevate everyone's lot. And if giving up the title of Patriot and foregoing the festivities on July Fourth are the price I pay to cherish that dream, to keep it alive inside me and pray that it will be renewed once more, then so be it. I'll love my country for what she should be, everyone else can love the harlot that she has become.