(Oh hell, we have a blog? We should use that thing more often.)
There’s this notion going around, largely unchallenged, that serving in the military equals patriotism. This is a problem.
The forwards case is probably true; risking your life in the name of your country sounds like patriotism to me. Non-combat roles in the military count, too; dedicating years of your life to your country is pretty patriotic, regardless of whether or not your ass is literally getting shot at. Most people agree, at least to some extent, that military service implies patriotism.
It’s the reverse case that bothers me a lot. I hear the little men (and also the not-so-little ones*) inside the TV machine say things like, “You never served in the military so you have no right to complain.” Set aside for the moment the hypocrisy usually inherent in that statement. I know, the hypocrisy there goes to 11. Just for now, let it go. There will be plenty of time to become enraged after class.
On this week’s new feature at Daily Kos, “Hate mail Saturday“, one of the featured messages said:
Your site has no message except of hate. You are disgusting. Here is an idea. Why don’t you and your comrades join the U.S. Military, perhaps then you might start to understand what patriotism is. Oh, wait, thats right the Military is for patriots. Forget it.
(Your irony meter is calibrated correctly. This is not a drill!) This notion that patriotism implies military service is something that gets batted around all the time on talk shows on TV and radio, and in blogs, message boards and forums. But I don’t hear it challenged enough. This statement should not be accepted as an axiom of any discussion! I don’t think a lot of the people who say things like this have thought through its implications. What they are saying is that anyone who never served in the military is not patriotic. Trying to hold onto this notion nearly rules out any intellectually honest debate: when wielded for evil, it becomes an implicit ad hominem attack.
In what twisted world is military service the only or even the best way to demonstrate patriotism? This is evidence of an overly-aggressive mindset. There are plenty of ways to serve your country. Quite a few of them don’t involve bombing people we hate. How about volunteering for a local charity that helps to improve the quality of life for the less fortunate in your community? What of an attorney who works to preserve civil rights, to help make sure that every citizen is treated fairly and in accordance to the principle that “all men are created equal”?
Do you want to serve your country? Do you want to dedicate your time to preserving the very fibers on which this country was founded, and upon which its continued existence rest? You want serve in a way that far too few people do, especially young people? (I myself am also guilty of not doing this thing!)
Volunteer to be a poll worker.
*Yes, that was a cheap shot at Glenn Beck.