Patriotism

"Patriotism is a kind of religion; it is the egg from which wars are hatched." -Guy de Maupassant, short story writer and novelist (1850-1893)

I realized today that I am almost afraid of patriots and that is odd, because I have always considered myself very patriotic. I am proud of what my country can be and has been. I am proud of the strength and goodness that comes through so many of our people in so many ways. I am proud that our flag stands for the basic freedoms and rights of humanity.

But, after perusing this for the better part of a day, wrapping it around all the other things I did, like building a Lego castle with Lennon for his toy super heroes, I realize that I am afraid of anything that is too passionate. I can be very much too passionate. I know what it is like to see something from only one side and that a glaringly optimistic, hero worshiping, blindly loving side that sees no wrongs, or misdeeds in it.

Fanatics are at the far end of the spectrum, but there are many others almost as close and just as dangerous. Young people are often fanatical, or perhaps not quite that far, they can be so innocent that they are beautifully naive. It is one of the things I love about them and those who are like them. They are the idealists, the ones who pull the cynical and soured side away from totally annihilating the world. Both ends can be dangerously close to achieving the same end under different names.

There is such a difference between experience and wisdom. Wisdom has taken its experiences and honed them down to tiny increments of understanding. Experience knows, or has a vague idea, how it won, or lost particular things, but the exact pathway is not that clear. I have experience. I know how to do many things, but most of the time I cannot just tell you in detail how to achieve those same things so you will get the same results I did.

I hate to admit it, but if someone were to threaten my loved ones, I was almost certainly fight back, maybe even shoot someone if I had a gun. Yet, I do not believe that wars solve anything in the long run and I abhor guns. I truly believe that force mostly pushes the weaker antagonist underground until it is strong enough to come back and fight for what it wants and believes in.

People whose eyes are fixed on only one goal may not notice the burning coals beside the path, or the bogs hidden in the middle of the road, or the blind child right in front of them who is about to be mowed down. Knowing only one truth and forging ahead to fight for it is almost as destructive as not knowing any. Everything is sacred. Everything is precious. Instead of wiping out the entire village to stop the horror, perhaps it would be better to find alternative paths away from it.

Who am I to decide who is disposable? What is the best way to eliminate serious problems? What about this old idea of an eye for an eye? Maybe that doesn't mean if you put out my eye, I can put out yours, because if we all got going that route, pretty soon we would all be blind. Perhaps what it means to the discerning person, is that if you put out my eye, then you must become my eyes and vice-a-versa. That makes sense to me, not very likely, be at least sensible.

The overly passionate, the fanatics, the far ends, leave little room for stepping back and honestly considering a subject from every angle. Patriotism bearing baskets of food and medicine and tolerance is much different than patriotism in the burning eyes of a frightened and inexperienced person carrying a gun.