The New York Times
recently had an opinion piece titled please Stop Telling Me America is great. The
piece speaks to everything that is wrong with America in their view. After
reading and watching the video I started wondering if we would be having the
same discussion if Hilary Clinton had won the election of 2016? We hear extreme
views from the talking heads on the major news networks. We hear extreme discourse
towards the country and the president from CNN, MSNBC, NBC and we hear extreme
positivity from Fox news. But I believe we are hearing rhetoric from the loudest
talking heads and not the pure unadulterated facts from the media. Our 24 news
cycle has appealed to our emotions, but not necessarily truth on all accounts. The Walter Cronkite style of news has turned
to opinionated talk shows and radio. The reality of news today is the factual
truth lies somewhere in the middle.
The fourth of
July has come and gone and there were many articles and opinions floating
around the net and on talk radio regarding patriotism and how Americans are
feeling on the subject. Are we still the best country in the world? I believe
we are.The people who have a negative feeling towards our country
are not really unpatriotic, but dissatisfied with the current president. I
think those that are currently not feeling the love for our country are
confusing patriotism with disappointment on the election, two very different
things. You do not have to like the president to be patriotic. The definition
of patriotism according to Dictionary.com is devoted love, support, and defense
of one’s country. Nationalism is taking the love of your country a step further
and is a state where you feel your country is better or superior to other
countries.
I remember when
Bill Clinton was in office and I thought the Monica Lewinsky scandal was the
end of the world. How in the world could the president of the United States of
America behave in such a way? How could an American president be impeached and
not leave the office? Still with my dislike of Bill Clinton I still felt
patriotic. I did not agree with his antics and I did not agree with his polices
yet I still flew my American Flag on the fourth of July and other federal
holidays and I still stood at sporting events to sing our national anthem. I
thought we were the best place in the world to live. I’ve liked certain presidents
more than others and there have been some that I did not care for at all. Yet,
in my heart I’ve always felt the United States is my country and where I want
to be. I’ve never felt unpatriotic or ashamed to say I’m an American regardless
of what a president says or does.
Where else can we
have discussions about our leaders without serious repercussion? As a woman I
can go to school, apply for a job and be employed, walk down the street freely,
write a blog, drive a car, and travel from state to state and virtually anywhere
as long as my passport is up to date. These freedoms sound like entitlements
yet in other places around the world if I were caught without a covering over
my head and face I could get in serious trouble. If I lived in China I could
not use social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube. We as
Americans take a lot of our freedoms for granted. These are just a few of many
examples regarding real freedom.
I can still feel
patriotic even if I don’t like the president. I can feel proud because my
grandfather was a Navy Pilot in WWII and lost his life fighting for freedom. I
feel a sense of patriotism as my brother and husband served in the Marine
Corps. I feel patriotic because of our U.S. Constitution and because we have a
system of checks and balances. I feel proud because we as Americans can have
discussions and even arguments about politics and our likes and dislikes of
politicians. We have these arguments on social media, in public, on radio waves
or television without being arrested.
I am a Health and Wellness Teacher at a
local elementary school and say the Pledge of Allegiance each morning with my
students. I never once have thought not to do this because of something the
current president said or did. I think about how far we have come as a country
and how lucky I am to be living freely each day. I don’t associate what Trump
has done or said when saying the pledge with my kids. I can understand the
other side of the coin here that some Americans will say that the president
represents our country and some may say the current president is a bad
representation therefore I do not feel love or patriotism towards my country. I
would say the good news is that we have elections every four years so if you
are feeling disdain or dislike of our current leader you can vote in the next
election; another benefit of being an American and another reason I am
patriotic.
Megan Rapinoe and the Women’s USA Soccer team has been all over the
news for their World Cup win and for Rapinoe’s statement that win or lose the
team won’t go to the White House if invited by the president. Rapinoe wears the
USA jersey while playing soccer. She is a leader on the team with such an
amazing responsibility. Her attitude is not helping her case. She had an
opportunity to go to the White House and speak to Trump who she dislikes. She
could have gone and used her platform to speak to the president about her
concerns. But instead of talking to the president she spoke at him using foul
language and not even giving the opportunity a chance to arise. The behavior
that she despises and claims that Trump uses is the very behavior she used to
gain media attention. There is nothing solved here. A complaint is heard but
there was no resolution. But again Rapinoe is confusing patriotism with her
disdain towards the president. Rapinoe should be screaming patriotism, after
all she represents our country and she gets to play soccer doing it.Her position on the team is a privilege not a right. She wears
the jersey with the American flag on it. She should be proud and use her
platform positively.
I challenge anyone
reading to put aside their feelings towards the leaders and politicians in this
country that they do not like. Go out and exercise your right to vote. I have
learned over thirty five years of voting that sometimes you get your person,
sometimes you don’t. Have no fear it will change with another voting cycle, but
never feel like you can’t have love of country just because you don’t have love
of your current leader.
