Opinion - Letters to the Editor

Monday, Jul. 14, 2008

Flag waving is not the same as patriotism

I came across a photo in the July 5 edition of The Bellingham Herald headlined “The Face of Patriotism” showing a man who has sev-eral symbols of our nation tattooed on his face. No doubt the headline editor intended the title as a bit of satire, but it does illustrate what many Americans think of as patriotism.

Actually, I believe that is more accurately described as flag-waving and chauvinism. My dictionary defines patriotism as, “devoted love, support and defense of one’s country.”

You don’t have to drive around town with a bunch of American flags attached to your car. You don’t have to agree with everything done at the White House. One of the things I most love about this country is the right to disagree. To support our troops I believe in getting them out of Iraq and Afghanistan now. I believe nothing is accomplished by painting symbols on our faces.