by Alec Kohut
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Last week Nation Review Editor Rich Lowry proudly proclaimed in a column that liberals are, “as a matter fact, less patriotic than the average American." Here’s his exact words:
To be less patriotic than the average American doesn’t require any elaborate backstory or exotic beliefs — it is, as a matter of fact, a standard characteristic of the typical American liberal.
He was defending Rudy Guiliani’s hateful and racist comments about President Obama’s love of America.
Lowry cites two polls in which those who claim to be conservative say they are patriotic when asked questions such as: “Do you believe that the U.S. stands above all other countries?”, or “Do you call yourself extremely patriotic?”
Yes, conservative are more likely to say they are patriotic, and if wearing an American Flag lapel pin and reciting the Pledge of Allegiance is your definition of patriotism, then yes, conservatives are “patriotic.”
But that is an easy, and just as phony patriotism. Simply saying that one loves America and thinks it is the greatest country ever is easy, in fact it requires no real patriotism at all.
Rich Lowry is two years younger than I. When he graduated high school and entered the University of Virginia, I was finishing my second year in active duty in the US Army. So it really doesn’t matter whether or not I say I am patriotic, I served my country, Rich Lowry did not.
As a peacetime veteran, I have a level of respect for combat veterans who sacrificed far more than I in service to this country. Tammy Duckworth lost both legs in service to our country, but to Rich Lowry she suffers from a “patriotism deficit” because she is a liberal.
Lowry does admit that liberals “love the country in their own fashion.” Yet says that our love is “not reflected in old-fashioned pride in country.” To me “old fashioned pride in country” means sacrificing something for this country. Tammy Duckworth has old fashioned pride in America, Rich Lowry does not.
Old fashioned patriotism is the sacrifice made by millions of Americans with a common goal. It‘s not just military service, but buying war bonds, recycling tin cans for metal for tanks and armaments, and doing without, so soldiers would have enough.
This is explained in PBS documentary “The War” by Ken Burns this way:
JIM SHERMAN: I guess the deep down feeling I had is that they made us sacrifice and if we were sacrificing, we would somehow feel closer to the war effort. And I think that’s really what they were trying to do, was to get your attitude in that our fighting men and women don’t have these, so you shouldn’t have these, and somehow you’ll get tied into the war effort.
Practicing Rich Lowry’s patriotism is easy, you don’t have to do anything. Absolutely nothing. No sacrifice, no nothing.
In Rich Lowry’s world, other people fight the wars, and he refuses to even help pay the immense financial cost of such wars. In his “patriotic” world, he need not lift a finger for his country.
Anyone can be a cheerleader and say we are the greatest country in the world. But is that really patriotism? Or is patriotism taking an honest look at this country, learning from our mistakes and facing those issues which we are honestly not the best in the world. Wearing rose-colored glasses and trying to shout the loudest how much you love America doesn’t make you patriotic.
Patriotism requires a level of action and sacrifice demonstrated by what is commonly called the “Greatest Generation.” They sacrificed and worked for a better America.
On the other hand, Rich Lowry has been nothing, but says he loves America. Does he?
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