‘Do We Really Understand Patriotism?’

What is a Patriot? A defender of liberty? What is liberty, then? In order to understand liberty as it relates to the United States, we must define it in terms of a human being, and a human being must, in turn, be defined in terms beyond the mere exigencies of life, because life to a human being enters into what is considered the realm of the spirit.

So, what is life, then, beyond the sustaining functions of the body. It is the experience of the brain interacting with the phenomena of the universe that surrounds us, through the channels of the senses, whereupon the brain creates the individual world in which each person lives. Each world thus created and experienced at the center of consciousness creates the sensations of life and identity for the individual human being.

Each world, having been created by a flesh and blood organ, our brain, and placed at the service of experience and consciousness, allows each life, within its world, to unfold from a center as it adapts and changes under the internal forces of temperament and desire while it grapples with external forces both moral/social and natural.

Each of us has gifts, all balanced in differing measures, allowing for billions of unique individuals. Each individual inhabits a unique world created, each, by a human brain with a common human heritage that binds us all into our universal spiritual existence. Some of these worlds are masculine, while others are feminine. Both are important; none more so than the other.

Powerful forces working within each of us cause the forging of a path reflecting our desires, inspirations and aspirations that leads toward the actualization of each of us at the center of our individual worlds. We might refer to this as our life’s dream. The pursuit of the individual’s life dream functions as the vehicle for the unfolding of a life.

Might liberty, then, be defined as the freedom to passionately pursue our individual life’s dream within a morality that protects others from what might be our excesses and transgressions, and one which, in turn, protects us from the the excesses and transgressions of others? In fact, the constitution of this country protects the rights of the individual against the tyranny of the majority. And shouldn’t it? Shouldn’t a society nurture the pursuit of dreams rather than inhibit them?

Women nurture...naturally and instinctively. Men protect the space within which that gentle attentive nurturing can take place and are rewarded with feelings of strength accompanied by a gentle sense of purpose and satisfaction at being able to provide safety and plenty to support the loving care of those who are vulnerable. Isn’t this expressed by the image of Mary and Joseph, of the Sacred Hearts, of both, the beautiful virgin mother and the son she so attentively raised? Doesn’t his martyred soul and tenacious divine empathy speak specifically to his love of humanity--all of humanity?

But what of those who are denied access to the resources, images, and experience that would allow these instincts to emerge undistorted. Might they be living in a world crushed and diminished by the machinations of corrupted institutions powered by the inertia of apathy, unchecked and unquestioned, as it exerts its life smothering force protected behind the cloak of “normal?”

What are the threats to liberty? Sometimes when I hear people talk, I’m reminded of an economic belief of the time of European colonialism. Back then, it was believed that there was only so much wealth in the world, and if you wanted more, you had to take it from somebody else. And they did, want more and take, as evidenced by incessant warfare, brutality, greed and plunder.

Are we coming back to that? Wealth is created. It is the product of human minds. Without the creative life’s dreaming of individuals, there would be no wealth. The more opportunities there are for the pursuit of life’s dreams, the more wealth there will be for the health and pleasure of the society. “Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” right?

The American Dream is not a statistically defined, monolithic fantasy predicated on possessing copious amounts of the correct stuff. The American Dream represents the promise of the fulfillment of each individual’s dream, and not the assimilation into a single, specific, national dream. America is the fertile field of dreams. The creation and worship of monolithic idols can dull a people’s passions for life, and with promises of self-assured, righteously exclusive membership in an elite society supported by the spuriously justified suffering of others, can lull them into a sense of complacency and false security.

The blind worship of symbols and idols--national and religious--can be hijacked with the employment of rhetoric played against desires for personal security and the maintenance of status and comfort. This has happened in the past, has resulted in fascism, and can do so again if we are not vigilant.

I’m struck by recent images of immigrants standing curbside watching parades with little American Flags being waved enthusiastically in their hands. I also hear of people drawing back from them suspiciously--fearfully. Relax, these people haven’t come here to take our “stuff.” They’re here because they so passionately want to join with us in this beautiful, fertile field of dreams. Like the rest of us, they want to prosper and see the nurturing society moved forward to greater prosperity. They always have. The people populating this land before the Europeans came knew the importance of freedom.

Their belief was that every human being deserved to be free. How did you come to be a citizen of this nation? I recently heard a quote in passing while watching PBS on television. It went something like this: “The opposite of poverty is not wealth; it’s justice.” Perhaps, if liberty and justice could be extended to all of humanity, there would be no American dream. It would be a world dream.

The patriots who founded this nation fought for the freedom to pursue their dreams. They fought for the right for all citizens to be secure in their person--all of us! Does that not include our individual worlds as they are animated by our dreams? Some of this country’s dreams are simply for a home, a family and a purpose; others seek empire and personal aggrandizement. In his “Inquiry Into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations,” Adam Smith voiced his belief that the self interests of entrepreneurs could be harness through the promise of reward to provide vital services to the nation. He also warned of the brutality that could entail if these self-serving drives were allowed to express themselves unchecked. Was he not disclosing the need for a more democratic morality that was opposed to feudalism?

I believe this nation’s founding fathers held to the belief that this liberty, for which they sacrificed so much, would prevail for their children and children’s children and so on without end. The content of the dreams may change, but the passions and the needs to pursue them issue from life itself. Freedom will never become unnecessary. We will always need patriots. We will recognize them by their vigilance to threats against liberty and by their willingness to confront arrogant, megalomaniacal greed. Mothers nurture; fathers protect. The root of our word “patriot” is pater, which means Father. In the Pledge of Allegiance we say, “One nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” We all have an inalienable right to pursue our individual dreams. Within your dream, you may find your place within the ranks of Patriots.

By Richard Zautcke

Lessons of Bush and the past unheeded as increasing numbers want Separation of Church and state Erased!

Lessons of Bush and the past unheeded as increasing numbers want Separation of Church and state Erased saying it never existed nor was it intended too. I would like your thoughts on this. It is very convoluted!
It is unbelievable to me too hear that the nightmare Bush has created with his purposeful infusion of his perverted Religion into our Government is not noticed by and even wanted an ever increasing number of Americans and they do not see the tremendous damage Bush and past Presidents that did this have done to the Constitution and to America. Increasing numbers are calling for the removal of Separation of Church and State and hoping to see a return to good sense I am amazed to see this happening as I expected and want just the opposite.
We cannot let this happen. It will complete the downfall of "our America" and seal the nightmare Bush is creating in his new America. Remember this and then the following cries for the removal of Separation of church and State will be put in context and be more disturbing. We cannot let this happen.
We all know of Bush's abuse and misuse of Religion in his misadministration. The president's infusion of Christian fundamentalism is destroying America as we know it. Unbridled religiosity is the most dangerous weapon in the world, whether it's Christian, Jewish, or Muslim. It does not matter.
The president likes to talk about the Islamists hijacking their religion and Islam. He has done the same thing to Christianity and America! They are playing the same game! My only concern is for truth, honesty, justice, and the American way and we do not get any of it from this administration. It has struck me why as I read a story about Richard Nixon's abuse of Religion for his political gain as Bush is fond of doing. I can't believe people can want more of either of those terrible examples.
With Bush we have unbridled, perverted, abused, misused, Religiosity being pushed by Bush and his warped sense of Christian fundamentalism and corrupt democracy just for his own political gain. The worse part is that Bush has hijacked Christianity and America and is in control of the (for now), most powerful country on the planet.
I thought this was very unique to George W. and very distasteful indeed! In light of the fact that Ford set a powerful example with his own Presidency insisting on keeping his Religion to himself and believing in separation of Church and State I did not understand Bush's perversion of Christianity only for political gain. We can never know the real story about a President's faith. We only know what he does—or refuses to do—in God's name.
Voters were unwilling to forgive Gerald Ford for his great act of forgiveness the unconditional pardon of Richard Nixon and I was one of them, thinking it was purely political. But there was another side to the pardon, the presidency and the 1976 campaign that received much less attention, in part because Ford wanted it that way. The contest between Ford and Jimmy Carter was a battle between two born-again Christians—but only one was willing to run as one. I never really realized that about Ford and that is as it should be. A truly strong man keeps his Religious beliefs to himself.
One of his first acts as President was some spiritual housecleaning. Among the more ingeniously cynical inventions of the Nixon Administration was the much publicized White House Church Service, which in addition to providing genuine fellowship for those so inclined, was a prime tool for image building, fund raising, arm twisting and deal making for the President's men. http://www.time.com/...
It appalls me that Bush had such a fine example of how to conduct himself and separation of church and State in President Ford and he opted instead to follow the example of Nixon's failed misadministration did only for their political gain. Knowing that Cheney was in that mess too and that many of us believe Cheney is behind this misadministration I find it telling that once again Religion has been perverted and misused for political gain. Is Cheney the common nut behind the wheel?
Anyway I find it very disturbing that knowing the problems of blurring or erasing the line of separation between Church and State, there is a growing number calling for Christianity not influencing as is fine but running America and want it removed altogether saying it is wrong and never existed.
On Anderson Cooper last night they said that In the beginning, there was a wall, a mighty barrier built by the founding fathers to separate church and state, block one from meddling in the affairs of the other. In school, we are taught that's what makes our country special. But what if that wall never existed? What if it's a myth conjured up in our lifetime to mask a greater truth, that America was conceived as a Christian nation?
It was! When I was researching for a book I ran into the statement Ronald Reagan used once in referencing America as the shining City on a hill. I found it when researching the morality influencing America at the time of our founding. It was a reference to our Christian roots and that America was designed so when God had his return he would feel right at home in the United States.
I understand we swear on a Bible in court, etc., and that In God we trust is not only on our money as I feel it should be but that thought heavily influences us but that should not mean that our country should be run by Christian beliefs or that it ever was. If I remember correctly it was the Calvinist's and born again Christians that did indeed influence our founding but I never thought Christian beliefs blatantly and overtly ran our country. Any Religion's positive influence is fine but not its open advocating to solely govern America. We must keep Religion separate for what seems to me to be very obvious reasons not just her but look at Iraq and middle east countries.
The arguments I kept reading over and over got more confusing every time I looked at them. There are some powerful arguments on both sides of this issue. Myself I believe Thomas Jefferson's interpretation of Separation of Church and State. I do though recommend you too give a quick look at the growing effort to say it never existed and to return "God" to running America. I would like to hear what you think once you read the strong argument made on Anderson Cooper.
http://transcripts.cnn.com/...

James Joiner
Gardner, Ma
www.anaveragepatriot.com