Ain't it a fine how do you do when some uber twit decides you're a traitor? Or, at best, unpatriotic? I come all over ashamed that any of these neanderthals might think me less patriotic than they when I mention my opposition to the war in Iraq. I mean, my sense of who I am, and my commitment to my country, is entirely dependent on their impression of me. Isn't it? So what do I do? How do I possibly respond to this reasoned assessment of my character, my values, and my standing as a loyal son of the Red, White, and Blue?
I don't. Fuck them. I don't have to defend my stance from the perspective of some myopic nationalism. I have my opinion, I have access to a medium that allows me to air it, and I have the determination to do so. Their opinion of my opinion, and the resulting classification, are things to which I am supremely indifferent. I make no defense, because I don't need one. A remark, I'm sure, that has Joseph McCarthy spinning in his grave. But, fuck him, too, and all his freaky little minions seeking to rehabilitate him from the grave. As if we didn't have enough paranoid power grabbers, who embodied what was wrong with the concept of the ends justifying the means, running around already.
I am an American. That's all anyone needs to know. I, along with all the other opinionated fruitcakes wandering the highways and byways, both cyber and real, of America were granted the right to say whatever the hell comes to mind whenever we like. Another of those pesky First Amendment caveats, don't you know. It doesn't require me to be accurate, fair, politically correct, informed, unbiased, or particularly astute. In point of fact, it doesn't require me to make a single drop of sense whatsoever. A right I wholeheartedly endorse, even for the fruitcakes that make me want to scream. And it for damned sure doesn't require that, in the time of war or any other time, I agree with a single solitary thing about my government.
It doesn't require that I open what I say with "I'm a loyal American", or "I served my country, but...", or "I am a member of the loyal opposition, and I think.." No, no, dear readers, there is not one single requirement that my speech be anything at all, except free. If that bothers you, or presents a problem for you in any way, maybe you should pack your shit and get the hell out.
5 comments:
I find Mr. Longenecker's piece to be long on hyperbole and short on convincing specifics. but, I suppose his vagueries make him slightly better than Ms. Coulter, in that her specifics are typically invented from whole cloth.
Oh well, we all have a bullhorn now. None of us are obligated to excellence.
That's worth a post on my blog.
Michael
www.mightymiddle.com
Appreciate the nod, Michael. :)
Well if you throw the word fuck around enough, you can convince me of anything. Lets make Kerouac proud.
Seriously, we should be at least slightly ashamed of ourselves for permitting our media to function as though it were state run. Where's the challenge? Once you own the media, (or at least 90%!!!) you control the message, right? And the message about patriotism is whatever they say it is. And so everyone dutifully slaps on their magnets onto their SUV and gives not a thought to the fact that we are going to increasingly warmonger on behalf of resources (or lack soon thereof) And we all sit back, afraid to question the war, and when we do, we stand out in the cold at these marches and watch cable interview the moron who invariably says something that makes us all look ill-informed and guess what? They show that idiot everywhere...and so it goes... So yes, we can whine. We can say fuck this and that... but patriotic behavior is first, to question. Second, to be informed, and third- if you cannot speak in an articulate manner, defer to somebody that can speak facts and real issues.
Patriotism means at least knowing what you send people to die for. Patriotism is never taking the bombing of civilians lightly. Patriotism means questioning why halliburton and other jackasses are never held accountable for their corruption and mistakes... yes, lets stand around singing with our tie-dyes but lets also have something to say and say it whenever we can!
I am right there with you, and am glad you made these points. But please clarify what you mean by "lets come up with a friggin platform" so we are clear.
And of course I know we do not have state run media, but as Amy Goodman pointed out in her documentary on media, what would be the difference?? That was my point, or rather, her point, that I agree with. Great film, we showed it as a community media education forum and more of those types of things need to happen too, we have done these with alternative energy as well. Enough of the "sit around and say Bush sucks" inaction.
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