Unfurled Flags Blowing in the Wind
Patriotism is Misunderstood
So….
I hate to admit it, but I was triggered today on my way home from a leisurely walk in one of our local parks. It was a crisp autumn day. As a treehugger, I’m addicted to their vibrant colors. While driving home, however, I found myself behind a man on a loud motorcycle bearing an American flag blowing in the wind.
Ugh!
I freely admit this type of MAN is not my type, not as a lover, boyfriend, husband, father, neighbor, or patriot. I resent the noise they create. They adore loud cars. They love flying down the road without a helmet. They disturb the beauty of nature with their creation of noise. It never seems to dawn on them that if EVERYONE in the country drove such loud noisemakers, our cities would be unendurable.
But they see themselves as privileged. It’s their goal to be viewed as a rebel and a bold patriot.
(cough, cough)
MAGAS seem to have their fair share of these ostentatious males, maybe the lion’s share. Especially the flag-bearing type. But here’s the deal. These rebels without a cause are not patriotic in the least. They claim to love their country but hate everything about it. EVERYTHING! They want to burn it to the ground. Much of the progress that made the United States a first-world country disgusts them. Fighting for human rights from race to gender to the LGBTQ community doesn’t inspire them.
They are threatened by progress.
Advanced countries are considered as such if they can boast a number of accomplishments. Things such as clean water, easy access to affordable health care, modern technology, industrial capabilities, enough food to feed their people, an educated population, reliable transportation, safety nets for those who fall upon hard times, national parks and preserved lands, safe environments for children, a functioning postal service, and equal opportunities for everyone.
In the last century, the United States made unprecedented social progress.
Many of the attributes on the above list took shape for the very first time. It was a time of growth and the birth of the middle class. Universities doubled their enrollments, child labor laws were passed, women won the right to vote, the industrial age was coming to full fruition, roads were built across America, National Parks were established, the postal service became one of the most reliable in the world, technology began to transform how we did things, more schools opened in rural areas, social security and medicare were born, and on and on and on.
We still had a long way to go, but we were frequently on the right track.
We were a country that was starting to thrive on progress. Throughout the Western world, many nations were doing the same within their own social environments. It was an amazing time period that should have produced a better understanding of what makes a country a great country.
But then a new mindset took hold. and the boys with the flags loved it.
It wasn’t long, however, and we began to notice that the United States was losing ground. Many of the things on the above list have now been degraded by a far-right political movement that claims to be the truest of patriots but hates progress, especially social progress. They either want to privatize everything or cripple it to then announce its failure.
Our public school system is under attack as well as universities and professors.
The United States, long recognized as having some of the finest institutions of higher learning in the world, is now seen as a training ground to produce liberal thinkers. We have a shortage of nurses, doctors, and teachers. Rural hospitals are shutting down leaving entire regions without accessible health care.
Unions have all but disappeared and jobs are deteriorating, even the professions.
Where once the middle class sent their kids to college to raise their standard of living, the pride that went with such accomplishments has waned. Now, even a doctor works for corporations and answers to pharmaceutical companies. They spend their work lives on the time clock rather than experiencing the kind of independence once known to a private practice.
All the while, as quality of life diminishes, the flag bearers are cheering for their country.
Using phrases like ”greatest country in the world” and “make America great again” as we slowly but surely move in a new direction. We’re moving away from progress toward regression. All that work of the 20th century is unappreciated or even worse unrecognized as the loud boys continue to roar down the streets of quiet neighborhoods with their flags waving in the air.
Anger is rampant and self-inflicted pain is the norm.
They love to bash norms, replacing them with wild declarations. The roar of an engine and the waving of a flag accentuates their empty promises. Life isn’t getting better. Instead, we’re dying from within. A culture war that doesn’t require an outside enemy.
I followed this loud, obnoxious man until I reached my street.
It was a relief to turn right and restore my vision with the sight of the changing leaves of autumn. I drove to my house thinking that surely there were more Americans like me than like him. I mean if this is as good as it gets, then we’re screwed. I pulled into my driveway as the sound of his motorcycle disappeared. The physical distance between us becoming an allegory for our political differences. We live in two different worlds. He wants to destroy mine.
Sadly, it’s so much easier to kill while bearing a flag.
Teresa is an author and professional myth buster. You can find her books on Amazon.
