Taking a Stand: What has happened to American pride?
We often refer to the United States as a lady, endearingly saying the word “she” when talking about our great land.
However, I beg to differ with conventional wisdom. The United States of America is all man because it’s scared of commitment. We start out all fired up and ready to do something, similar to how I approach yard work, and then we seem to lose focus once we figure out the humidity is a little high and the bugs are biting.
We need to look no further than just a few months ago on Sept. 11, when our country was brought together closer than it has since another infamous date – Dec. 7, 1941. There were people flying the flags high, putting their hand over their heart during the national anthem and going to church like there was no tomorrow.
Folks, it’s just nine months after the national tragedy and it appears we have already lost focus. Church attendance has dropped like a rock given the fact people were apparently seeking temporary refuge until the storm passed. Aside from the Exchange Club and some other long-time flag flyers, we don’t see as many flags flying as we did last fall, and folks don’t seem to be as respectful when the national anthem is being sung.
Just Sunday I was watching a NASCAR race and I was appalled to see people just scampering around to their seats and posing for the camera instead of paying their respects, with their hand over their heart, during the national anthem. I remember the first race after Sept. 11. There wasn’t a single hand not over a heart that day before the race. At Nunley Stadium, even small children paused and placed their hand over their hearts during the anthem before the football game.
It boils down to a lack of focus that we, as Americans, seem to have nowadays. We rally around the flag for a minute, feel good about being the land of the free and the home of the brave and feel that little chill in our spine when the anthem is played, but then, after things calm down, it goes back to being all about ourselves.
It seems we are forgetting, aside from national holidays, about the Omaha Beach, Iwo Jima and all those other places so far away where brave men gave their all in defense of liberty. We tend to forget liberty comes with a price, and, given the fact many of the veterans of World War II are now passing away, I’m afraid that heritage, that patriotic fire, may be somewhat lost with their passing.
After Pearl Harbor, there was no time to relax and sit back because there was a war to be won. The same is true now in the war on terrorism, yet it appears we’ve already gone back to our peace time mode here, letting our troops take care of the dirty work in those places very far away.
While I guess part of what disappoints me is the apparent lack of respect for the sacrifice the few have made for the many, it’s also about self-preservation. It was this relaxed mode, prior to Sept. 11, which left us ripe for the deeds committed by those animals. By settling back into that mode, forgetting the lessons we learned less than a year ago, I’m afraid we may be leaving ourselves open for another national tragedy. Don’t be fooled, the resolve of our enemies is just as strong, or stronger than it was Sept. 11. The question we must ask of ourselves is if our resolve is stronger now.
What do I want? Fly your flag, go back to your place of worship, show respect for the national anthem. That’s not much to ask given the fact our young men are overseas putting their lives on the line for us right now.
And, it wouldn’t hurt if we maybe thanked some of those older veterans, as well as the newer ones, once in a while for what they did for us.
(Duane Sherrill is a reporter for the Standard. He can be reached at 473-2191 or [email protected].)