Original Owl #3
(First let me say that the posting in rapid succession is due solely to my lack of internet connection at home, and my inability to regularly access it at work. I'm doing the best I can to keep up, I figured jumping ahead a bit might help.)
Patriot. Patriot Act. Treason. Heretic.
One of the reasons I have such a love for words is because they're malleable and dynamic, morphic and solid, all at once. Words have the power to inspire and tear to shreds, but sticks and stones will break your bones, and words can never hurt you. Patriot is a word that is both terribly overused and completely misunderstood, so this particular TKO really interests me.
A Patriot is a person that loves her/his country. But is a Patriot one who stands by America the Brave at all times and puts her/his faith unwaveringly in the leaders of our great nation? I'm sick to death of the assertion that patriotism is founded on blind devotion and the "hear no evil see no evil speak no evil" mentality that seems to pervade education. Patriotism to me IS faith and it IS love, but it is also bravery. It's the faith that your country--your leaders--can withstand your criticism, and it's the knowledge that such criticism stems from how much you love your nation. It's scary to stand up and ask questions, but to me it's scarier to stand by and just blindly believe that things will be okay if we just smile and go with the status quo. Patriotism is having the guts to open your mouth, get off your ass, and make a change if you believe one needs to be made. Patriotis rock the boat because they recognize that even waves that make people uncomfortable are better than floundering in stagnant water.
Patriot. Patriot Act. Treason. Heretic.
One of the reasons I have such a love for words is because they're malleable and dynamic, morphic and solid, all at once. Words have the power to inspire and tear to shreds, but sticks and stones will break your bones, and words can never hurt you. Patriot is a word that is both terribly overused and completely misunderstood, so this particular TKO really interests me.
A Patriot is a person that loves her/his country. But is a Patriot one who stands by America the Brave at all times and puts her/his faith unwaveringly in the leaders of our great nation? I'm sick to death of the assertion that patriotism is founded on blind devotion and the "hear no evil see no evil speak no evil" mentality that seems to pervade education. Patriotism to me IS faith and it IS love, but it is also bravery. It's the faith that your country--your leaders--can withstand your criticism, and it's the knowledge that such criticism stems from how much you love your nation. It's scary to stand up and ask questions, but to me it's scarier to stand by and just blindly believe that things will be okay if we just smile and go with the status quo. Patriotism is having the guts to open your mouth, get off your ass, and make a change if you believe one needs to be made. Patriotis rock the boat because they recognize that even waves that make people uncomfortable are better than floundering in stagnant water.
posted by Anonymous at 11:22 AM
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