I don’t recognize a lot of things anymore these days, as civility and ethical behavior take a backseat to bloviating and bluster. What used to be considered unacceptable behavior by statesmen now seems to be standard procedure.
I used to think I knew what patriotism was, while a lofty ideal I believed the authenticity of a true patriot was pretty well defined and easily agreed upon.
That is until John McCain was booed at a Republican gathering . . . and until one dedicated civil servant after another who served this country with valor and integrity ended up being thrown under the bus along with many other patriots by their own commander in chief.
It is difficult to believe, but in the hearts and minds of some, one man who never served his country in any capacity has been able to dismantle old norms and create a new definition of what it means to be a true American.
Never in my wildest conservative dreams would I have ever believed there would come a day when my fellow Republicans would boo a patriot like John McCain, but nevertheless . . . we all witnessed it.
Patriotism is being redefined. It used to be defined as such; the quality of being patriotic; devotion to and vigorous support for one’s country.
“a highly decorated officer of unquestionable integrity and patriotism”
However, now for about one third of our citizens, the definition has been reduced to one small thought; pa·tri·ot·ism devotion to and blind support for one’s president as long as he continues to “toe the party line”, resist the opposition and reflect one’s own beliefs.
I used to think I knew what it meant to be a Christian or at least to behave like one. These days I see a much different version of what it means to be “a man of faith”. When I think of that phrase, the first thing that pops into my mind is humility, which is quickly followed by a series of virtues such as kindness, compassion, graciousness and empathy.
I don’t recognize this new definition: Winning is everything, when attacked punch back harder, never admit wrong doing, God doesn’t like losers . . . He makes winners, etc. Put down and demean those who would dare disagree with you. Threaten those who would question your motives. Be strong! Be great! Whatever you do, don’t look like a loser!
While patriotism and faith may be currently twisted into a new narrative – the remedy is clarity. We mustn’t lose sight of what is unacceptable to us, for our children, our country and our future. Each of us must be responsible for our contribution to humanity and for what we will allow to be redefined. Perhaps that is the true definition of both.
This article was written by a guest blogger. The opinions expressed here are those of the writer and do not reflect the opinions of Bob Lacey, Sheri Lynch or the Bob & Sheri show.
The Zen Den
Hello and welcome to The Zen Den. My name is Alison and while I am passionate about many things, my most inspiring driving force is human connection. Blogger, content writer, orthopedic exercise specialist, motivational speaker, international yoga pro, published songwriter, avid poker player, mom and wife are just a few of my titles. But when I do my job at NASA, I am known simply as “The Fairy Zenmother” a role I deeply love because people invite me into their space to help them find their center, relax and stretch their muscles and destress their mind. Here in the blogosphere version of The Zen Den, I invite you into my world where I will explore ideas for creating a better tomorrow and a kinder today. And hopefully, with insight, authenticity and humor; my words, observations and experiences will help you feel calm, centered, intellectually challenged and spiritually enlightened. Alternatively, if you have something you would like to see covered in The Zen Den, just let me know. Your feedback is welcome and valuable to the success of this blog. Finally, my heart is filled with gratitude to have this opportunity to share with all of you.
