Patriotism 102

I am always disappointed to see someone who thinks expressing our freedom of speech is un-American. I’ll have to disagree.

You may not like what someone has to express or the way they express it, but just like you, they have every right to express it. In fact, telling someone to go find another country if you don’t like what’s going on is the most selfish and unpatriotic thing you can say to someone. We need more people to stand up and be counted, even if we don’t like the way they express themselves.

If our country is doing something we see as objectionable, it’s our patriotic duty to speak out. So, kudos to folks who kneel and/or burn flags for having the courage to exercise their freedom. This is patriotism and selflessness in action embodying our greatest values and we need as many of those Americans as we can get.

As mentioned before, I served in the military, just like my father before me, to defend our precious rights. We didn’t serve to defend a song or a flag, or any other piece of fabric. We served to protect a way of life and ideals handed down to us for generations.

We didn’t serve to protect people who don’t appreciate those values, people who would compromise our freedom of speech. Attempts to undermine our rights are heinous and short-sighted and insulting to all of us who served in any branch of the United States Military. It is a special affront to those who were wounded in action, because when you begin chipping away at our rights, you are telling wounded warriors their sacrifice was misguided and unappreciated.

Yes, you can be offended when someone takes a knee or burns a flag. You have the right. But you’ll survive without a scar. We will not survive as a country the loss of our freedom of speech. Thankfully, there are people yet willing to stand up for that right.

A wise man told me that we need much less flag worship in this country and much more worship of the ideals we live by.