Is it wrong to feel this way...(Patriotism Overload)

[imax2268]

I was sitting here the other day watching a tv program and a commercial came on telling me that I should buy this piece of merchandise to..."Show my true patriotism"...I see bumper stickers with "God Bless America and George W. Bush" on them...I see these ribbons saying "Support our Troops" on cars...etc etc...

Don't get me wrong...I love my country...I served in the military and I do support our troops...I have a flag that I display proudly when I feel like it...I worked for the military...but I got laid off just a few months ago...

it just seems that the conservatives are ramming it down my throat...telling me that I should be more patriotic...I'm not saying that I hate my county...I'm just tired of this faux Patriotism being shoved in my face and being hasseled when I speak my mind about it...

"your not a true American because you don't support the war"..."you voted for Kerry so that means you are not a true American"..."You are a commie because you don't support pResident BushCo...on another board I was told that I should just go to Iraq...get kidnapped and beheaded because I don't support BushCo and his mess in Iraq...

Has our National Anthem and Flag become a source of capitalism...stick it on some peice of merchandise and sell it for a profit...what good is a commemortive plate with the twin towers on it...it's not going to bring those people back is it...what is that money used for...why is it so important for me to buy it to show that I'm a true American...?

It seems to me that the more stuff you buy off TV that has the Red White and Blue on it...defines you as how much of a patriot you are...

Why is it that the conservatives think that they are the only "true patriotic" Americans...because I refuse to support the doofus in the Oval Office and because I don't wrap myself in the flag that I'm not as patriotic as they are...?

I don't see how some crappy peice of merchandise, or my car full of bumper stickers, or sing "God Bless America" at the drop of a hat shows how much of a patriot I am...am I wrong to feel this way.

[Vincardog]

1. The most patriotic thing you can do is get an American flag

and fly it upside down until the government is returned to the people.

[imax2268]

2. I did that once...

and the trees in my front yard were toilet papered...nice huh...?

[Piperay]

6. I put a flag up in my window

(and it was right-side up) after 911 and my repuke neighbors egged my house. I guess Democrats aren't allowed to fly our flag. :-( No matter, I keep the flag up until January 20 2002 then took it down as protest against the anniversary of the Chimp's first year of squatting in the Whitehouse. I also left the egg goo up and the egg shells where they landed till the weather did away with the whole mess. I wanted everyone that passed by to see that the repukes were the ones disrespecting the flag.

[Stinky The Clown]

3. You're not alone

I'm with ya!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x2790781

and

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=252x824

This is a real hot button with me.

It is **my** flag.

I served under that flag.

No one, not one son of a bitch chickenhawk motherfucker, can take the flag away from me.

[justgamma]

4. These people can't tell the

difference between love of country, supporting the troops, and hating Shrub. They think he is the country and the troops.

[Mr_Spock]

5. I saw this sticker on a car - will be on my now...

and here's what the "Bushies" think of such a sticker: http://wizbangblog.com/archives/004037.php

:eyes:

Here's another sticker that was on the same car:

This one is going on my car too. IF those wizbang freaks don't like it then run me into a ditch! Then you better run like hell coward!

[Squeech]

7. Fuck products

My loyalty is not to a chunk of land, nor to a map of that chunk of land, nor to an overly busy piece of colored cloth that purports to symbolize that chunk of land, and certainly not to a certain heir to the throne who has managed to fool 51% of the people since 9/11.

America to me is unique among nation-states because its real nature lies not in any physical configuration or symbolic manifestation, but in the document that begins, "We the People..."

It's a somewhat dry, legalistic bit of prose, in admittedly archaic language. But what's cool about it is that it's a blueprint for how to run a pluralistic society that is supposed to ensure that everyone has a fair shake and nobody gets railroaded. It's the ground rules for how that "Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" language from the *other* great document (which is more poetic but can't be cited in a court of law) actually comes to pass.

If you claim to be an American, you should be able to talk about the Constitution intelligently. If you can't, you can go choke on your fucking flag.