An encounter this past weekend got me to thinking of the nature of patriotism and respect of your president ... or the presidency in general. While at a local mall, we had just parked and were getting out of the car, and a man pulled up next to us and proceeded to tell us how saddened he was by the bumper sticker we had on our car that said, "He'll
never be my president." As the man explained, he was a former Canadian who had just become an American citizen and such an illustration of "treason" was scandalous. Besides illustrating his ignorance of the true definition of treason --
betrayal of one's country by waging war against it or by consciously and purposely acting to aid its enemies -- it was a perfect example of how blind Americans (old and new) have become. Once could go into the
illegitimacy of Bush's presidency, but that's not even the point. Many people, including the person that spoke to us, believe that support and respect are unconditional. But, as Nietzsche said,
"Digressions, objections, delight in mockery, carefree mistrust are signs of health; everything unconditional belongs in pathology."
Even one of our own presidents understood the importance of being able to criticize:
"The President is merely the most important among a large number of public servants. He should be supported or opposed exactly to the degree which is warranted by his good conduct or bad conduct, his efficiency or inefficiency in rendering loyal, able, and disinterested service to the Nation as a whole. Therefore it is absolutely necessary that there should be full liberty to tell the truth about his acts, and this means that it is exactly necessary to blame him when he does wrong as to praise him when he does right. Any other attitude in an American citizen is both base and servile. To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public. Nothing but the truth should be spoken about him or any one else. But it is even more important to tell the truth, pleasant or unpleasant, about him than about any one else." -- Teddy Roosevelt
I'm tired of the jingoism. People blindly wave the flag with no thought to what that flag represents. They accuse people of treason. Real treason is
rushing Saudi nationals out of the country immediately following 9/11 even though the majority of the terrorists were from Saudi Arabia.
False indignation about Anti-Bush statements betrays your motivations. If you cared about the country, you would be more indignant over a president who
lies to the people of his country in order to wage an unjust war. A war that has taken the lives of 1700+ American lives and at least 10 times as many Iraqi. You'd be more indignant over the
taking away of our liberties. You'd be more indignant about a government that coddles corporations and curries favor with it's friends while allowing our society to become a two class system (the haves and the have-nots). You'd be more indignant about a government that creates legislation that favors the insurance industry and
pharmaceutical companies while increasing the burden of cost of medical care on those least able to bear it.
How can your respect a president that doesn't respect the responsibility inherent in that office?
So, go back to Canada with your little George Michael 5-o'clock shadow and your BMW. You live in Scottsdale, sir, not America. You're "saddened" by a bumper sticker. I'm saddened by what you think America represents.
