2095 Patriotism

Sunday, November 2, 2008

On CBS' "Sunday Morning" today there was a discussion of patriotism, what it is, how it is defined. A poll showed that more Republicans than Democrats consider wearing a lapel flag pin, or saying the pledge of allegiance, to be patriotic, that one who does these things is by definition a patriot.

The focus of the segment was a man who defined patriotism as doing things to make the US a better place. It's not wearing a symbol, or saluting a flag, it's what you do.

There seems to be an attitude among conservatives that one has to support the government, right or wrong, to demonstrate patriotism. So Vietnam war protesters back when, and Iraq war protesters now (who are mostly quiet because of fear of retribution) are, by their definition, unpatriotic.

I am reminded of an incident in 1967. I was teaching math in a high school in Hanover, Pa., substituting for a teacher who'd died mid-year. A very bright girl, a senior with straight As, had declared in a speech given at a school assembly that she considered herself first and foremost a citizen of the world, and secondly an American. That the only way to achieve world peace is for everyone to realize that they are first and foremost citizens of the world, that we should all work for the health and happiness of all our fellow world citizens, and that blind insular local patriotism is detrimental to world peace.

She said that she knew everyone would forget her words as soon as the assembly was over, so in order to remind them, for the remainder of the school year she would not rise for and would not speak the pledge of allegiance with everyone else, not as an expression of disdain, but as a reminder that there is a higher call.

A few weeks later, the faculty voted her unanimously into the national honor society.**

The principal freaked. He called an after-school compulsory faculty meeting and ordered the teachers to vote her out. He pointed out that grades alone did not an honor student make, that citizenship and service to the school and community counted just as much, and he did not consider her a good citizen or an example for others to follow.

The teachers refused to change their votes.

That stupid principal called a one to two hour meeting after school every day! for something like a month and a half, during which we were not allowed to check homework, prepare lesson plans, grade papers, or anything else that teachers do every evening. We had to just sit there (children waiting at home be damned), and every half hour or so he'd ask if we were ready to change our vote.

You know, I don't remember the outcome, whether he finally prevailed or the teachers stood firm. But that was 1967, and back then, unlike today, people were ready to sacrifice for what they felt was morally right. What I vividly remember is that toward the end of the siege, the principal offered me the position full time for the next school year, and my response to him was, "Work for you? You have GOT to be kidding!"

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**This was back in the days when honor societies meant something. I don't think it means much any more. There are local schools with 900 students, and when the newspaper prints the honors lists, 700 of them are on it. That "everybody gets a prize" mentality. I don't know what's wrong with the other 200. Maybe they're all in jail.
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