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Ärende: Thomas on Americans
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From the Baltimore Sun
Nonpartisan patriotism


Cal Thomas

July 4, 2007

WASHINGTON, Ind. -- It's a long way from Washington, D.C., to Washington, Ind.,
where my father was born a century ago next January and where I am attending a
Thomas family reunion. On the drive from Indianapolis, one passes towns that
could fill a Norman Rockwell album. My favorite is named Freedom because,
though the town has only a single flashing caution light, it displays many
flags. If I don't slow down, I will miss both.

Driving past miles of cornfields, listening to local radio stations that still
play music, not syndicated political talk, and carry commercials for farm
equipment and feed, I ponder what it means to be patriotic and to love America.

Last week, Illinois senator and Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama
said that religion is not the exclusive property of conservative Christians. He
is right. Neither is patriotism a trademark of the Republican Party.

As with religion, some people on the right have used patriotism, which should
be a unifying theme, to divide Americans. My liberal friends love America as
much as I do. They might disagree on some, or all, of my political and
religious beliefs, but that does not make them less in love with America, much
less un-American.

Many political and religious liberals have family members who have served or
are serving their country in war and in peace. These people have spilled their
blood and given their lives to guarantee our freedom to disagree and to still
live together.

Here in this Washington, I am told stories of how our family stuck together,
neighbor helping neighbor, during the Great Depression; of a grandfather who
was out of work at the B&O Railroad for two years; of employees with more
seniority who took a day off so he could work and earn some money; of one of
his sons (my uncle) who had a paper route and would bring home eggs donated by
subscribers.

Few here judged their neighbor's worth based on his or her political or
religious beliefs. They helped each other. This was the real America. When the
"boys" went off to war, they had total support from family, friends, neighbors
and all they left behind and for whose benefit they fought. When those who
survived came home, some voted for Democrats and some for Republicans, but no
one questioned their patriotism because of their electoral or religious
choices.

The 2008 presidential candidates and their supporters should be asked not to
question the patriotism of their opponents. Surely most of us prefer debate and
discussion of the issues that confront us rather than a litmus test about whose
blood runs more red, white and blue.

Leaders of many nations, including America, have used patriotism to convince
citizens of policies that are not always in their country's best interests.
Hitler's deputy, Hermann Goering, cynically observed: "Naturally the common
people don't want war; neither in Russia, nor in England, nor in America, nor
in Germany. That is understood. But after all, it is the leaders of the country
who determine policy, and it is always a simple matter to drag the people
along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament,
or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be
brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is to
tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of
patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any
country."

We love America for opportunities that do not exist in such proportion in any
other nation. A person who criticizes a particular policy does not necessarily
love his country less than one who supports that policy. G. K. Chesterton said,
"'My country, right or wrong' is a thing no patriot would ever think of saying
except in a desperate case. It is like saying, 'My mother, drunk or sober.'"

After 231 years, we still try to make wrong into right and cheer the right and
the nation that makes change possible when we succeed.

That's patriotism.

Cal Thomas' syndicated column appears Wednesdays in The Sun. His e-mail is
calthomas@tribune.com.

Copyright + 2007, The Baltimore Sun | Get Sun home delivery

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