April 2010 - by TSP

Patriotism??  I'm not so sure...

Webster’s Dictionary defines patriotism as devotion to one’s country. The word patriotism comes from the Greek, Patris, meaning Fatherland. This topic has been on my mind quite a bit lately in the aftermath of the massive earthquake in Haiti, which has left hundreds of thousands injured, homeless and dead.

I’ve heard many a cynical soul bemoan the United States sending humanitarian aid to Haiti. “We have our own problems,” “Screw their voodoo asses, not our problem.” It’s easy when one is thousands of miles away and not knee-deep in dead bodies to separate oneself from any sense of duty to fellow human beings. When our own country is in the midst of a terrible economy, public programs being abused, our tax dollars being wasted, health care in the toilet, etc., we are jaded. What the hell do we think we are doing sending millions of dollars and human resources to this backwater, impoverished land when we have so many complex issues to solve here at home?

So back to “Patriotism”. Fatherland. Father. Land.

The deeper philosophical question here is, “Are we not all one human family, created by or evolved from, one common source?” Just because we live on one side of the proverbial line in the sand, does that absolve us from the moral responsibility to help our fellow human beings on the other? Because we disagree with their government and so-called “leadership”, shall we abandon their citizenry in a time of grave crisis? All in the name of “Patriotism”?

I consider myself a very patriotic American. I get goosebumps whenever I hear the “Star Spangled Banner” and tear-up when I hear that country song, “I’m Proud To Be An American”…..you know, where the next line is, “…where at least I know I’m free…..?” It is my opinion that service to this country should be mandatory for a minimum of two years immediately following high school. I think that we must do what we must do to protect our freedom and our way of life. But not while letting other members of our global family waste away and die without doing something to try and help them.

Shall we compromise our global civic duty in the name of patriotism? Shall we say, “Sorry, Haiti. We got our own problems, y’all are just gonna have to figure this one out for yourself. We gotta take care of OUR citizens.” Just who is “OUR” by the way? Anyone inside the invisible lines that separate US from THEM?

Let’s remember folks that we all came from the same place, once upon a time…..and that we’re all gonna end up back there. Together.

- TSP