Letters to the Editor

1-29-10

What Is Patriotism?
To The Editor:
No, it’s not Columbus Day, nor Flag Day, nor Independence Day, nor Memorial Day, nor Patriot Day, nor Pearl Harbor Day, nor Presidents Day, nor
Veteran’s Day ... nor any other day that we celebrate which could come under the rubric of being particularly “patriotic.”  If I’ve left any out, please excuse my ignorance; I apologize.
So what brings me here, during the early winter time, finding myself writing about that topic? I can’t recall exactly what inspired it, because it’s a topic my mind has long been focused on. However, a recent issue of an ACLU newsletter reached me and reinvigorated my need to push all sorts of practical matters aside to write about patriotism. (Hey, it’s more fun doing that than cleaning up my messy workshop.)
You see, there is this case, recently won by the New York ACLU on behalf of a man who attended a baseball game in NYC, who, at the time of the seventh-inning stretch, felt that he had to go to the men’s room to relieve himself. Well, that’s the time selected for the playing of “God Bless America,” and people are NOT ALLOWED to wander about or use the facilities at that time.
He had been prevented from entering the men’s room and when he insisted, two of “New York’s Finest” (so they’re called) not only physically prevented him from entering but hauled him away and ejected him from the ball park. The ACLU called this an act of “enforced patriotism.”
Well, although this tyrannical approach by the authorities in itself was reprehensible to me, I was also bothered by the ACLU calling this police action “enforced patriotism.” Enforced fascism, maybe, but not patriotism. What, pray tell, is patriotic about a song?
The Oneonta City public meetings start off with a pledge of allegiance, for some reason, as if allegiance to a flag (and what it stands for) has anything to do with the political machinations of the city board. And what does this public display of one’s supposed loyalty have to do with anything?
I once had business before the city board and when I knew the pledge was coming up, I conveniently went to the men’s room. Fortunately, there was no police presence there to prevent me from going in.
At the Town Of Oneonta’s board meetings, I didn’t use the lavatory as an escape mechanism since, after all, I am a town citizen and have full rights there.
I usually sat right down front, since I was more visible there, and when the time for the pledge came I just held my seat.  Not only would I not make this meaningless pledge, but I wanted it to be a public issue.
Alas, Duncan Davie, then the town supervisor, never made it an open issue, and I had hoped that he would ... just as he had once made an issue of my wearing a baseball cap during a meeting (hey, this wasn’t a church!) while a woman at the meeting was wearing a hat and had been free from assault.
We argued the sexism of his ruling and I wasn’t going to remove my hat ... but when the woman voluntarily removed hers, I felt it was time to make peace, and back down; I had made my point.
I had asked a woman I know, who also was against this kind of public display of fealty, why she stood up for the pro forma pledge (which is just what it is, an empty form that everyone follows, similar to the “Heil Hitfer” in Nazi Germany).
She told me that she stood up but didn’t say anything. I said, “Yes, but everyone thinks that you’re saying the pledge; you need to make a non-verbal protest of this inanity.”
So, what’s the definition of patriotism? It means simply the love, support and defense of one’s nation. And how do we enact, make visible, this patriotism? Is it by singing some songs? Is it by taking a pledge saying that we are indivisible (just look at our Congress and see how divided this nation really is), and that there is liberty and justice for all? Ha ha! Do you really believe that justice is meted out to all equally?
IRWIN GOOEN
Emmons