"PATRIOTISM" AS PRETEXT: WHY I AM SUSPICIOUS OF PATRIOTS
by Steven Higashide

After the September 11 attacks, my house was one of many that displayed the American flag. When so many donated money for the families of victims and blood for the wounded, all the best qualities of patriotism were displayed. But more recently, patriotism's ugliest aspects have shown themselves. Today's environment of hostility towards those not in agreement with the Bush administration combines with ample historical precedent to provide evidence that patriotism is something to be wary of.

Throughout the years, patriotism has been used by government to control the masses. It was Herman Goering, the Nazi Propaganda Minister, who famously said, "The people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same way in any country."

It follows that the most extreme form of patriotism in the last century was evinced by Nazi Germany. Hitler's government passed laws which gave him dictatorial power, abolished all other political parties, and suspended civil liberties. In order to instill nationalist spirit in their citizens, the Nazis draped their buildings, cities, and employees with their own patriotic symbol, the swastika. They also rewrote history textbooks,claiming that the German loss in the First World War was the result of Jewish and Marxist spies. The government did away with freedom of the press, creating a media of propaganda. More recently, war was fought against many Iraqi patriots, and the 9/11 attacks were perpetrated by religious fanatics, a type of people differentiated from patriots only by the object of their loyalty.

Our own history acts as an equally strong argument against patriotism. The McCarthy era, with its "loyalty tests," blackballing, and hearings, was one of the most embarrassing times in our history‹all in the name of patriotism. It is clear that patriotism, whether displayed through government policy or popular feeling, too often leads to the loss of freedoms or the suppression of those who express those freedoms.

Patriotism has also created prejudice. A strong nationalist spirit creates an additional "us vs. them" dynamic‹people are not only discriminated against because of race, gender, or religion, but also because of their country. One need only witness the recent anti-French movement in this country and the anti-American sentiments displayed in other countries (in some places, hotels and restaurants have refused to serve American tourists).

During the First World War, German-American citizens were run out of town, taunted, and beaten by mobs carrying the American flag. During the Second World War, thousands of Italian nationals living in America and Japanese-American and GermanAmerican citizens were forcefully uprooted and moved to internment camps in the name of national security. Because these consequences of patriotism are so antithetical to the principles of equality our country was founded upon, it may be the patriots who are most "un-American." Our country's birth provides further proof.

George Washington, Samuel Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and the other men we call the Founding Fathers were not patriots, but revolutionaries and dissenters. When English colonists disagreed with their government's policy, they used tactics of civil disobedience‹the same tactics maligned today by many who claim to support American values. They lambasted the government through the press and through more violent means such as the Boston Tea Party. Ironically, many people today see the Boston Tea Party as an event to be admired, yet hypocritically condemn anti-war protesters. (This is particularly ironic when one considers that the vast majority of protesters do not destroy private property as did the instigators of the Tea Party!)

Throughout the years, those practicing civil disobedience have been censured as "unpatriotic." Many times, those people have been the ones to bring about needed social change. During Woodrow Wilson's administration, women agitating for suffrage were considered unpatriotic because they dared to protest during wartime. Would we give up women's rights today in the name of patriotism?

Today a virtue more valuable than obedience is free thought. As Americans we support our government not because we are mindless, but because we believe it acts to bring democracy to the world. We support our government because of a track record which includes the Marshall Plan, and efforts to build democracy in Japan and Germany and . Our government has almost always had good intentions. That does not mean it has always acted admirably or wisely. In the past, in our country and in others, patriotism has led to prejudice, civil strife, and in the worst cases, the loss of fundamental freedoms. Thus, our justified pride in our country must be forever humble. To protest, to call for change, to dissent: We must always remember that these are the actions our country was founded on. Our nation was born inthe minds of the seditious and borne on the backs of the disloyal.

Steven Higashide, of Colonia, NJ, is a PeprallyUSA.com 2003 Essay Contest Semi-Finalist

Steven Higashide's Biography, by Steven Higashide.

Steven Higashide is a senior at John F. Kennedy Memorial High School in Iselin, New Jersey and will be attending New York University in the fall. He is an enthusiastic writer of fiction and a zealous basketball fan who is a member of both the Spanish and National Honor Societies. In addition, he is a member of the Key Club, school newspaper, and Concert Choir, and earned a varsity letter in cross-country.

Steven lives with his mother, a brother, and two twin sisters in Colonia, NJ. He is happy to live in relative tranquility.

Want to send a special greeting to those you love in the armed services, with a picture like this? Email them to mypics@peprallyusa.com or US mail them to PeprallyUSA, LLC, 4464 Milton Ave., Camillus, NY 13031.