One Man's Opinion...

Fifty years ago I was sitting in a dayroom at an Army base in Germany, rapturously observing Apollo 11's landing on the Moon.

The dayroom would ordinarily seat about 100.  That day there were at least 250 souls there, all transfixed upon the old black and white TV.  Shoulder to shoulder.  I was filled with pride.  The hundreds of other G.I.s there that day were as well.  You can expect that soldiers would be patriotic.  But that particular day imbued all of us with an out-of-this world dose of patriotism and pride in our Country unmatched before or since.

So, knowing of my general age, and my service, you could assume I'm a proud American, and believe all others should be as well.  You'd be absolutely correct.   

That stated, an old friend just asked my opinion about the recent dust-up concerning the words and deeds of certain notable celebrities and our Flag.   

I told him, "Our Flag symbolizes Patriotism.  And honor.  And freedom.  And duty to God and Country.  And it symbolizes those who died in the pursuit and defense of that Freedom.  

And then, I said, "To those who know what Patriotism means, no definition is necessary.  To those who don't, no definition is possible."

That may be my most insightful - and perhaps briefest - statement ever.  And so, at the risk of "gilding my own lilly," I'd like to take a little deeper look into this unfortunate situation.

To continue:  A whole lot has been said of late about our Flag.  The Flag of the United States of America.  Its symbol.

And about whether one should be able to burn it at will, and stomp on it, and desecrate it, and demean and denigrate and besmirch it, and also the Country for which it stands, and all without legal, or even social retribution or retaliation of any kind.

And about whether one should stand, respectfully, silently, reverently, hand-over-heart when the Flag is raised, and whether you're to be deemed anti-American if you do not.  And about whether it actually represents America in 2019, and even whether that matters anymore.  

And whether choosing to use the Flag as a medium of protest is acceptable in our society.  And what to do about it if it's not...

That's a whole lot of questions.  Some, perhaps, without answers.

As a proud American, it pains me to see this divide develop.  I'm one of those lucky Americans who was born and raised up in a society just emerging from a World War.  A War that killed millions worldwide, including tens of thousands of our own brave soldiers and sailors and Marines.  A War that redefined our society, our government, our politics and our lives.  A War that served to define our Great Country from that day forward.  And, I would add, continues to define it.  

And I'm one of those lucky enough to have had the privilege of serving America in uniform.  Not that doing so is absolutely necessary in my opinion in order to know and embrace patriotism, but I don't know anyone who has...who doesn't...

In short, my friends, we seem to be at some sort of "tipping point."  A tipping point that previews what just might happen if this wave of anti-Americanism continues to grow and fester.  And become for the uninitiated masses "cool," somehow.  

What might happen, in my opinion, is nothing less than the dissolution of our society.

I personally don't care if you hate America.  Or its people.  I don't care if you despise what we stand for.  And our Flag.  And the Anthem.  I just don't care.  However, if you're one of those who holds such views, and expresses them, firstly I'd like you to just stay out of my way.  I'd prefer to have nothing to do with those who'd prefer to have nothing to do with America.  

In the words of my father, a little bit of you must surely go a long, long way.

And second, I'd certainly prefer if you were not an elected pandering politician (but I repeat myself), or a biased news reporter, or a two-dimensional celebrity with a following of impressionable drooling Millennials.  Trying to keep America American is hard enough without a bunch of miscreant anarchists getting in the way...