Old Glory
By Nancy Muldoon
The image of the American flag against various landscapes of America can often be one of life’s simple pleasures. However, and not just since September 11th, 2001 the flag has become a symbol of elitism and, ultimately and ironically false patriotism.
Every time I see the American flag, it occurs to me that America now isn’t the America I grew up in. Not that America has ever been perfect. America is like a woman with a bad reputation; she is desperate to hide her ugly past and will vilify anyone who dares to mention it. America, like anyone of questionable character, spends a lot of time reinventing itself. There is no question that if redemption is in fact possible, America would be the place you’d want to do it in.
How did we become the current nation of gas guzzling, mall hopping, celebrity obsessed, flag waving elitists that no longer appreciate individualism or any dissenting political viewpoints from those who dare to step away from the confines of mainstream popular culture?
As far as the rest of the world is concerned, we Americans have fallen terribly out of fashion. We are no longer the media darlings we once were. America is no longer the nation the rest of the world seeks out to be best friends with. One could argue that America has become the laughing stock of the rest of the world.
The recent past and current Presidential administrations have also made it dangerous to be an American in many parts of the world right now. It is especially precarious if you are an American journalist, as journalists seem to be a favorite target for anti-American extremists. This irony isn’t lost on me. Journalists are far more objective than the ignorant American public.
Writers, much more so than most people are well aware of how language has the power to persuade and influence people. Dissenters of the status quo are often quite provocative. Writers are generally truth tellers. That is their function. Truth tellers are held to a much higher standard than most people. It’s unfortunate that liars, posers, and false patriots are rarely under such scrutiny in this country. Spin doctors run the show in America while those who are unwilling to go along with such nonsense are often accused of being a turncoat.
On September 11th 2001, Americans were finally made aware of the growing resentment and animosity that other nations feel for us. There had been previous warnings like the attack on the U.S.S. Cole and the first attack on the World Trade Center in February of 1993 but Clinton chose to ignore it so he could contend with the ever increasing scandals that marred his administration. Americans chose to ignore the warnings so they could continue to do what Americans do best; shopping and driving.
All is not well in America. We no longer welcome immigrants in spite of the glaring fact that the majority of Americans got here because of our ancestral immigrant relatives.
The America of yesterday was the place of hope and aspiration so that ones offspring could have a better life. The America of today is one of increasing celebrity obsession, massive television viewing combined with little or no work ethic, where people strive to look important rather than be important. Truth telling is frowned upon while political propaganda is considered patriotic.
When I look at the American flag I cannot help but feel genuine sadness for all those who fought for the freedoms that so many of us take for granted. There was a time in this country when the flag stood for pride, self respect and common decency.
American Culture is in need of vast improvement. For Americans the flag means different things to different people, to me it is a symbol of a fading celebrity who still believes her own publicity.
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Nancy, although this particular blog is quite controversial(probably why it's my favorite), I'm very proud of your commitment and fervor regarding this blog! Keep up the great work!!!!!