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A new kind of patriotism
Thursday, January 25, 2007(The Harwood Institute for Public Innovation)
A new kind of patriotism
by Richard C. Harwood
- Christian
Science Monitor, July 3, 2002
BETHESDA,
MD ñ On this July 4th, Americans are called to
take a hard look at the meaning of patriotism
and their own relationship to it. During the
past year, a patriotic fervor spread across our
great land: Flags adorned buildings and cars,
donations were made to relief funds, and
patriotic hymns were sung. Now, Independence
Day brings even more patriotic displays ñ car
ads, professional sporting events, parades, and
politicians all wrap themselves in the red,
white, and blue.
But do such expressions
fulfill the true meaning of patriotism? Today,
Americans are facing the challenge of how to
engage in public life and politics. The time is
ripe for each of us to step forward and declare
how we will meet this challenge.
About
six months ago, The Harwood Institute launched
its nationwide initiative, the New Patriotism
Project, which seeks to improve the conduct of
political leaders, news media, and citizens in
politics and public life. People often ask if
the project's name was in response to Sept.
11.
In truth, the name came to be
through conversations with individual Americans
and their leaders over recent years and hearing
them consistently lament how they have
retreated from public life and politics,
bemoaning its direction, frustrated by their
seeming inability to change its
course.
Listening to these compelling
voices made me think about the essence of
patriotism, and the need for its genuine
renewal.
"Patriotism" often has been
co-opted by hate groups, bigots, the militia,
and others as a way to wrap themselves in the
flag and hide from those whom they see as
different. For some, it is an exclusionary
term, intended to include only white males and
to shut others out from the American
Dream.
But a study of the word
patriotism reveals an eloquent simplicity at
its roots: To hold a love and devotion for
one's country. Devotion knows no boundaries of
skin color or religion, of economic class or
geographic lines. It suggests that people must
bring their whole selves to public life ñ as
devotion cannot be fulfilled simply by going
through the motions of rituals or halfway
actions.
Genuine patriotism flows from a
love of nation so deep that one is willing to
search for what is good and right, especially
when the path is hard, and when issues get
confusing or tough or feel downright
uncomfortable. Blind acceptance, falling in
line, resignation, avoiding differences ñ
these are the enemies of
patriotism.
There is much unfinished
work to do in our nation and communities:
ensuring that all children receive a good
education, tackling racism, learning to live
with increasing diversity, making sure all
people and all perspectives have a place at the
public table. We need strong and healthy
politics and public life to determine how we
will do this work.
In a Harwood
Institute/Gallup survey taken earlier this
year, Americans expressed a robust notion of
patriotism, saying that discussing issues with
others and even expressing unpopular views is
important work for the common good.
But
there are important disconnects at work, too.
Only 40 percent of Americans said that to be
truly patriotic, one has to be involved in the
political and civic life of the community.
What's more, 67 percent said that today's
children do not have a sufficient understanding
of what the United States flag represents. And
vast numbers of people do not expect the
conduct of political leaders, news media, and
citizens to improve in the 2002 elections,
despite widespread patriotic pledges to the
contrary.
To engage in devotion to
America means that each of us must assume, in
the words of Woodrow Wilson, a "posture of
ownership." We must stand as part of public
life and politics, not apart from it as mere
bystanders, commentators, or
spectators.
On this Independence Day,
let all Americans step forward and declare
their intentions about the kind of public life
and politics they seek in our nation. And let
us all embrace a new patriotism.