Now look out your window or open the front door and ask yourself, “Is it my turn to be a patriot today?” After the rockets red glare and the bombs bursting in air, am I now ready to be a true patriot? After the Iraq/9-11 speeches have fallen hollow and the pundits have started fires with their insensate spinning of half truths and misleading talking points. Is it now time for me to be a patriot?
Do not confuse a patriot with being patriotic. Everyone is patriotic out of pure unenlightened self-interest. We all want
America to succeed and provide security and comfort. We all want better schools and better lives and better homes. We all find the time to rejoice in the luster of our credit ridden wealth. We all want to succeed more than others and have more than others and love more than others. This is human nature, and in
America human nature is amplified. However, this is not the act of a patriot.
A patriot is selfless and communal in thought. A patriot looks closer and understands the essence of power, is to have more power. A patriot loves all and excludes none. A patriot does not give hubris filled speeches but listens for hours while those who disagree are given a clear forum for debate. A patriots holster is full of questions. A patriot lurks in all of us. The patriot is the selfless teacher. The patriot is a thoughtful broker of mediation and understanding. The patriot is just below our natural state, it is the core of our being a true American. A patriot has become a rare species in this time of disillusionment and fragmented views.
9/11 is not a time for tears and political conflagration. Instead, 9/11 is a time to reignite the embers of the patriot in all of us. Look past the corporate media and find a new way past the echo chamber. Do not believe your ears. Do not believe your eyes. Believe in your mind. Believe in your thoughts of righteous days gone by. Believe in effort. Believe in facts not commentary. Believe in yourself as a source of immeasurable strength against a tide of deceit and lies. Remember, these are only words; you and I have the power to restructure the echo chamber. Begin to read current books, from all sides of the political spectrum. Talk often with people about politics, and when talking only ask questions. Go beyond the news of TV and newspapers find the independent source of news for you. Turn off NPR and Radio news. You must find that patriot within before you can stop the spin.
4 Comments:
Good post. I agree with most of your sentiment stated here. However, I take issue with your inclusion of NPR in the list of things to 'turn off.' In a world where news seems comes in political flavors, I have searched and searched for a source I can rely on. In my opinion NPR, while not perfect, is by far the most reliable and easily digested news source I have found.
Also, I'd like to add that your prescription to "read current books, from all sides of the political spectrum" is great advice, but unfortunately unrealistic for most people. It's the 'all sides' part of your recommendation that will be hard to manage. I've seen the books available lately and the most popular also seem to be the most polarizing. Even the most well read people won't pick up more than one or two of these books every few months, and those few that get read will most likely reflect facts and opinions that align with the reader's already formed political views. Mainstream media/news will need to be reformed, or alternative forms of media/news will need to become more prevelent before America sees an influx of your type of patriots.
While NPR has some merits it is still defined by big donors. Thus undo influence is placed on so called ‘experts’ who filter the news. I suggest foreign news sources. This will give citizens a chance to look at differing issues. Issues which can form a new bank of current information and as a stated in the blog, create more questions. Additionally, I agree that political books are usually devoured by people who enjoy their daily dose of ‘yes men’ however I do have a few books which are relevant to this discussion:
1. On Political Equality: Robert Dahl 2006 p. 120 (can be read in one day)
2. Challenging Nature: Lee Silver 2006 p. 351
3. Radical Middle The Politics We Need Now: Mark Satin 2004 p. 206
NPR, don't make me laugh. The word public was replaced with "Political" a long time ago. I think they just voted Al Fraken to their board.
All I do is laugh, when it comes to NPR, MSNBC,CNN,CBS,FOX,NBC,PBS,and ABC.
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