Reframing "patriotism"

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

We have all heard from rw types who call many of us "unpatriotic" because we marched against the war and otherwise showed we didn't support Bush's tactics. But these same people are oddly silent when it comes to putting their bodies where their mouths are and enlisting. I think this might be the time to reframe the whole "patriotism" thing.

US history teaches us that those who believed the war we were fighting was just volunteered for duty. People who stayed at home but said they supported the war had their patriotism questioned. This was especially true during the Civil War, when Lincoln was roundly criticized for not letting his eldest son, Robert, enlist (even though Robert wanted to, Lincoln insisted he finish college-plus he was afraid for the mental stability of his wife if she lost yet another son).

So I say that we question the patriotism of everyone who "supports the war" and yet doesn't march in to a recruiting office.

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. oh we did precisely that last Sunday

kid questioned mine, and an older lady, we both took out DoD cards and asked to see his.. I offered to get him to the recruiter, I am sure they are so short they would have worked durnig Memorial Day Weekend...

He waked away sheepishly..

;-)

[ComerPerro]

2. Oh, believe me, I've been doing that. I have also been

questioning the patriotism of anyone who I have ever heard criticize Bill Clinton.

[TimeChaser]

3. Good old Mark Twain

"Patriotism is supporting your country at all times and your government when they deserve it"

Something like that, anyways...

[tulsakatz]

4. support the troops

actually I did something similar, I was posting on a board and a Republican said that they supported the troops and I asked exactly how they do that. Do they perform some sort of volunteer work, are they serving in the military or does their support take some other form?

I never got an answer to my question. I guess it was a tough question........