Comments on: How Do You Define Patriotism?

The Passionate Love of Country That May Divide Us Is Also The Glue That Binds Americans Together

[douglas_dunn]

This may well be my last blogging session before the election, so I want to say one last thing.

Someone just bothered to poll Utah today.

You know, I visited there one night, arriving on a bus. I spent the night, and had the distinct feeling of being followed. The next day I was dumbstruck that there were no blacks anywhere, no poor people on the streets. It was so weird I couldn''t wait to get out of town and away from these people.

What was the result of the poll in Utah? McCain +25, far in excess of any state in the deep south.

Now, I grew up close to one of their churches in Virginia and have said all my life, "Judge a tree by it''s fruit."

The people who attended that church appeared to be very decent folks, but this poll makes me sick to my stomach.

What the heck is going on in Utah my friends? What planet are you on? It''s disgusting. It''s so blatantly racist as to jump off the page and slap one in the face.

Thanks Utah, but no thanks.

[robstrck]

Definition of Patriotism. Not being part of the media.
They have done more to stir up trouble and divide this country than anyone else.

[douglas_dunn]

Heck no it doesn''t end on November 5th, dbaecht. That''s just the beginning. We''ve been essentially leaderless my entire adult life and I just turned 50. My God I can''t wait to feel what it is going to be like to live under a real leader. Barack will do it, tuckerndfw. I know whereof you speak. I understand the pesimism, but I say again, the spirit of MLK is at play here, and the struggle of formerly enslaved people for true freedom. YOU CANNOT, YOU MUST NOT UNDERESTIMATE THIS. Do you know the Tuskegee airmen never lost a single escourt plane while flying bomber protection over Germany, NOT ONE PLANE. Obama is going to go down in history as a new founding father. I sincerely believe that. We are about to get a long needed lesson in real leadership. For God''s sake man, noone even saw him coming. Just look at the primary and general election he just ran. This is our new leader. I tell you I would give anything just to mop floors in the White House. That;s how much I want to be a part of what I think is about to happen.

[douglas_dunn]

birdyspice7, nice post but I regret to inform you that you left off lapel pins. You gotta wear your lapel pin. The Republicans say so.

[dbaecht]

"Posted by dbaecht at 08:22 PM : Nov 02, 2008

I agree but I was a political activist for a number of years and I know how it is in the real world.

Once the election is over, Obama''''s supporters will breathe a big sigh of relief and go back to watching tv or smoking dope or whatever they were doing before the elections.

I sincerely hope otherwise, but experience prevents me from believing that all those people will remain involved.

Posted by tuckerndfw"

I agree with you. But those of us that don''t lose sight of the big picture need to keep reminding others that this doesn''t end on Nov 4.

[douglas_dunn]

ubrew12, Sorry I was busy responding to LMartinK. No, you are absolutley right. The death and destruction we have visited on the Iraqi people will haunt this nation for years. I was only trying to make the point that a lot of those kids went over their believing in their leaders, believing they were doing the right thing. That''s all. I condemn the war. I do not condemn those kids, any more than I do our Vietnam vets like LMartinK.

[douglas_dunn]

Part 1 of 1

LMartinK, Few families can claim such a rich military history. You speak a profound truth. The Bush administration (and by extension McCain) as well as Wall Street are an "enemy within." We have been betrayed by both our political leaders and our business leaders, who think nothing of robbing our public corporations, as if being the CEO of a Fortune 500 company somehow gives them the divine right to blunder. Bush has rigged the last two presidential elections so that the Russians and other countries to which we feel so superior are over here watching our elections as you might expect to be done is some war-torn so-called "third world" country. War profiteers have shameless made billions off the death and destruction in Iraq, while young men who responded to their call to duty did what they felt was the honorable thing to do and enlisted, only to find themselves working next to the employees of the war profiteers, who are earning 20 times their pay while they, our enlisted soldiers risked their life for a pittance. Our bankers, once a respect profession, now practically steal from the poor with accounts designed to fee low income customers to death while lending so much money to teenagers in college that they commit suicide.

[douglas_dunn]

Part 2 of 2

Meanwhile, the consequences of "subprime" lending were not unknown. Our country was just raped, as surely as Enron raped California. It was just a bigger party this time. Bush appears most certainly to be on drugs, most likely cocaine. Hence, Katrina survivors are still waiting for federal help. The good, God-fearing people of the South are so afraid of having a black man in our highest office that it is almost a matter of pride to speak out against him in public. Our people must suffer the humiliation of bankruptcy should they be so unfortunate as to get really sick (I just passed a kidney stone and spent eight hours in a hospital without insurance, and now have a $12,000 bill I cannot pay, though I am told the pain medicine they administered costs only a few dollars). We are told universal health care is not possible or that it is unpatriotic though the movie "Sicko" completely debunks this myth and shows a reality in England and France of which we are seldom showed. We live in a culture of greed. Yet I feel the real problem is lack of political leadership. Wall street will follow Washington, D.C. What we need is a good and decent man in office. Change really is coming my friend. I feel it in my bones.

[dbaecht]

"Obama is very likely to go down just like Carter did. Which is what the GOP is counting on.

Posted by tuckerndfw"

We the people that are voting for him, have to back him up, and do our part to help. He can''t do it alone, we will have to demand more from our state and federal elected officials. We will have to let them know the time to screw around is over.

[birdyspice7]

Patriotism is proudly displaying "support out troops" and American flag bumper stickers.

Patriotism is driving big trucks, fishing, and hunting.

Patriotism is listening to country music and watching Nascar, football, and baseball.

Patriotism is eating "freedom fries" not "french fries".

Patriotism is taking your hat off for the national anthem at baseball games.

Patriotism is joining the military even though you really didn''t have much other opportunity and it was your only way "out".

Patriotism is believing you''re better than everyone else in the world because "America has the most freedom" without bothering to read how several other countries have just as much or more.
Some people really do think this way. Serious.

[ubrew12]

douglas_dunn said: "patriotism is blood and guts. The Iraqi war may have been a mistake, but I expect it to yield a new generation of political leaders, young men and women who went over their to defend our country. That''s patriotism. "

And the million Iraqi''s who''ve lost their lives since our invasion? Are they just a footnote in the creation of future American leaders? Less than a footnote? In my opinion, its the patriots who cautioned against the war, protested it, and hate it still.

[douglas_dunn]

tuckerndfw, Listen, not go wax religious on you, but I think this economic downturn is payback for the Republicans. There are a thousand little turns and twists that might have given the NAZI''s or Japanese the upper hand during WWII, but none of them happened, or at least not in time enough to make a difference. I firmly believe when good people are at the helm, God does intervene, by which I mean things work towards good. Certainly, nothing is going to change before the start of next summer, but by then I think we will start to see what a difference true leadership can make. I think by then our people will be speaking with one voice. I do NOT expect it to take an entire year before we start to see real change. That''s just me, but that''s waht I see coming.

[douglas_dunn]

Okay, bfore everyone packs up and goes home (figuratively speaking), I suggest we take turns being the Republican. I''ll go first.

I can''t stand you wimpy, Marxist pig libs. Get a job you stupid idiot. Barack is a commie. Why don''t you just move to another country if you don''t want to be American like me.

(How am I doing?)

[douglas_dunn]

Patriotism is palpable. Patriotism is what you feel on December 7 or 9/11, not words. When it comes to attacking American soil, we are one people. The ideas that bind us together are written in our sacred documents, but patriotism is blood and guts. The Iraqi war may have been a mistake, but I expect it to yield a new generation of political leaders, young men and women who went over their to defend our country. That''s patriotism.

[douglas_dunn]

During this lull and before the next citizen bashing Republicans comes on spewing forth Steve Schmidt''s sick thoughts and reminding us what lazy good for nothing idiots we are, may I say this feels like a dream. I''ve been blogging for him since before the Iowa primary and this just feels like a dream. Me thinks the whole world is holding their breath right now. I have never lived under a truly great leader. I have such high hopes. I pray Obama and the new congress hit the ground running and never look back.

[douglas_dunn]

tuckerndfw, you are sharp my friend. Glad to be on the same side. Nice Post. Thanks.

[johnpatrick9]

Patriotism is not about the Leaders or the Military it is that which cares for the just treatment of the PEOPLE. The PEOPLE are more important that the tranisitory nuttiness of some so called leaders or the military...we are not Nazi Germany folks we are a REPUBLIC OF BY AND FOR THE PEOPLE.

[douglas_dunn]

*** I think he''s got some poet in him

[douglas_dunn]

All I know is the Republicans are gone. God how I love running them off. Hi Donny! Your okay by me. I''m the King of the Crazies. That makes you my subject.

[douglas_dunn]

Don''t get me worng. Bush is an oil executive. HE KNEW EXACTLY WHAT HE WAS DOING AND HIM AND HIS CRONIES HAVE GOTTEN INSANELY RICH OFF THIS WAR. They have so much money now that probably don''t give a *** who wins this election. I despise them. I loathe them. I think we should lynch them, quarter them, and send their body parts to the far ends of the planet. Okay? I''m there whicha man. OUR DAY OF RECKONING IS COMING. TWO MORE DAYS!