From outside the box

I remember when I was growing up, how certain kids were over protective of one or both of their parents. Besides being overly protective and sensitive, they often bragged about how cool or wonderful their parents were, usually their father. It didn't take me too many years to realize that more often than not, the kids that did this had often been abandoned by that particular parent, or worse. Later in my life, I came to see this same kind of relationship with conservative folks who were overly patriotic and protective of their country. It started during the Vietnam war (or that's when I first became aware of it) with those "America, love it or leave it" bumper stickers.

In a recent blog I pondered over why we can't use force as well as dialogue in dealing with terrorists. And I have to ask the same question here....Why can't you love America, acknowledge all that is great and wonderful about it, and on the other hand, be willing to admit where we have made mistakes and be critical of policies you think are wrong. Blind patriotism gives a free ticket to our leaders to do whatever they want to as long as they put the right spin on it to make it palatable. Just as every child who has ever been abandoned or abused by a parent must sooner or later acknowledge the reality of their past before they can heal emotionally and move on, so must we as Americans be able to admit our past and present aggressions. In doing so, along with acknowledging the great things our country stands for and the good we have done around the world, we evolve from "blind patriotism" to "true patriotism".