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Negative
Effects of Patriotism
November
23, 2001
by Drudge Jr.
Patriotism is everywhere since the September 11 attacks shocked
our country and the world. People are singing along with the
national anthem at ball games, every other car has a flag
on its antenna, and students are actually standing up for
the national anthem. Patriotism is a spit in the face to terrorists
who want to oppress us, and it brings the country together,
making it stronger, the term "united we stand" is a common
cliché these days.
However, there are some sides to patriotism that only darken
the premise of love for a country, especially America.
Not just here, but worldwide, the Constitution is a symbol
of democracy, and the bill of rights is the most respected
aspect of this nation's freedom, but since September 11th
it seems at least one of these respected rights has been clouded.
Days after the attack, while the nation was receding from
shock, a writer for the Texas City Sun, Tom Gutting, said
"We are stuck with a crippled president. He's not a leader,
he's a puppet." At the time Bush's support rate was at 93%,
the country was behind their president, and the next day,
Tom Gutting was fired.
Dan Guthrie, a columnist for an Oregon newspaper said Bush
was like a "kid [who] has lived a pampered life of privilege
and games. His first time under real pressure, he bolted."
The paper's editor Dennis Roler said calling Bush a "coward"
isn't responsible or appropriate." Guthrie was fired as well.
Readers of the National Review demanded columnist Ann Coulter
be fired after saying "We should invade their counties[counties
that support terrorism], kill their leaders and convert them
to Christianity." She was eventually fired.
The most publicized example of recent anger toward the media
came when Bill Maher, the host of ABC's Politically Incorrect
said "We [America] have been the cowards, lobbing missiles
from 2,000 miles away, that's cowardly. Staying in the airplane
when it hits the building, say what you want about it - is
not cowardly." Two sponsors pulled their ads from Maher's
show and several of Maher's affiliates including WLAJ in Washington
D.C. dropped PI completely.
In response to Maher's comments, White House Press Secretary,
Ari Flecher, Said, "All Americans... need to watch what they
say, watch what they do..." I think we can all understand
this is a bad time to be insensitive, or controversial, but
that doesn't mean we can go ahead and forget about Freedom
of Speech. True Patriots would understand no matter how outspoken
a comment is, if it doesn't cause or advocate violence there
is a Constitutional right to say it.
Reading things can make people mad, it's understandable,
but the solution isn't getting rid of the person who wrote
it, the solution is not reading it. I believe anything else
would be unconstitutional. All Americans are tense right now,
and following this country's fundamental rules seems like
rational way of keeping some normalcy.
Loving our country is something does make us stronger, however
we can't let our love be blinding or we will forgot the basics
of our freedom. No Americans wanted to see the attacks of
September 11, and we may not want to hear opinions that differ
from ours. However, we must remember the basics of freedom,
or we aren't really patriots.
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