Comments on: Now, Senator, About Your Jewelry …

Bob Schieffer Wonders, Why So Much Emphasis On Flag Lapel Pins As A Sign Of Patriotism?

[observantx]

Mr. Shieffer:

AMEN.

There is far too much phony patriotism. Slapping one of those yellow ribbon stickers on my car or wearing a pin really doesn''t prove if you are patriotic. In fact, I see those facile, easy acts substituting for real patriotism.

Real patriotism is getting off your fat behind to go vote. Real patriotism requires thought and research into our government''s policies and behavior. Real patriotism requires pointing out when the emperor has no clothes.

Ultimately, real patriotism means you think and act as a citizen of the United States of America first, and as a Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Christian, Jew, or whatever other identifiers we carry around, second. Real patriotism requires we act for the greater good of the greatest number of our people, not for our own selfish hot button single issues.

So far, in this campaign, the insignificant has been magnified out of proportion and the critical ignored. The last debate was the pinnacle of that error. Let''s have real debates about real issues and cease this prattle and yammering about "patriotism".