By: Josh Porthouse
Do people still “thank their lucky stars to be living here today”? Definitely, at least, I think so. Don’t they?
Our Labels
Lee Greenwood said “they” can’t take away that the flag still stands for freedom. It’s strange to think that it only took forty years for the referenced “they” to make a pretty good claim to doubt that. Think about it, if you’re a millennial like me, 1984 means nothing to you. To our parents, Reagan was seeking re-election and at that year’s Republican National Convention, the party prominently and publicly attempted to rally the citizens of the United States under a common spiritual revival with the words “I’m proud to be an American, where at least I know I’m free.”
But what does it really mean to be an American? Is an American a person who swears allegiance to America? No, that can’t be right. We don’t all do that anymore, which doesn’t change our American status. To be a Citizen of America, then? Well, I suppose that can’t be accurate either. If it were, “American” would still be a noun instead of an adjective. We wouldn’t have to punctuate “American” with words like “citizen,” “patriot,” or “supporter.” What is it then? What does it mean to be “American”? Likewise, what is a “patriot,” and when did it become such a divisive reference? These and other statuses are actually in the eye of the beholder, as is the perception of that status symbol or reference by like-minded people. In this application, there’s another word for that: culture.
Our Essence
I have a theory. It comes down to a lack of self-awareness and identity. Who are we once our roles in society have changed? As service members, we stood along the bank, keeping watch to protect our country from all enemies, foreign and domestic. Now, our indoctrinated brains have become inculcated with duty, service, honor, courage, and commitment. Pride, integrity, self-sacrifice, teamwork, and spiritual refinement became hallmarks of our twenties. You can’t unlearn that.
Can you stand in front of an ideal that challenges that perspective? Can you articulate why we are in a clash of wills in defense of its meaning? Our values breed self-awareness or, at minimum, critical thought. Values exercised over time get tested, and that is how we build resilience, independence, and awareness. It’s how we callous weakness into strength as it leaves the body. It’s why we all stood on yellow footprints, no matter the boot size or print color.
As for patriotism, it isn’t political; it’s politicized. It is not about religion, speech, assembly, orientation, cause, or party line. It’s about character and the spirit of our nation. In spirit, we defend inalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. In culture, our like-minded beliefs and ideologies. Every other military member or militiaman I’ve worked with or fought against had that in common. We defended our cultures for the safety, security, and sanctity of our respective ways of life for our posterity. The American flag is a symbol of our culture. It’s our national branding to the rest of the world.
Our National Brand
You’ve seen popular brands’ reputations impacted in American society because of the ideals their company leaders set forth as company position or mission. The American brand is not immune. Our nation’s brand has been corrupted by a perceived lack of character, identity, awareness, and dignity by some of its populus. In a recent complaint against a Licensed Real Estate Agent who had listed and marketed a home, the complainant buyer/consumer claimed to feel ‘unwelcome’ to view/purchase a particular home because the photos represented online included an American Flag mounted on the home. The complainant argued that the flag’s visibility made her feel unwelcome because of her race.
I’m unsure when our character, values, or worth became the point of aim against the American Flag. I don’t know whose sight picture included our national identity as the point of impact. But our nation’s culture isn’t broken. We are still great. Even if it is poorly articulated and popularly divided, America’s spirit still exists.
I only know one thing for certain. We, as Americans, with pride in every American heart, are still the Minnesotans, Tennesseans, and Texans living in places like Detroit, New York, or L.A. and still proud to stand and say, “God Bless the USA.”