Reflections Of Patriotism In America Today

Over the past decade in America, when you log on to social media or turn on the television, it is very evident that the nation has been steadily marred in the culminating fervor of what patriotism means across the country. This has as well naturally been the case of course at all other times in our short history. What defines patriotism for some, has inevitably squared off on what it has meant for others, yet now in this day and age, with the advent of social media, the product of information and its greater social impact has become far more accessible, expedient, and therefore more abruptly thought provoking. Begging the question of: What is patriotism? What is its unique assembly in society? And... How, if at all, can it me quantified and measured?   Recently, Quarterback Colin Kaepernick of the San Francisco 49ers has  exercised his right not to stand in pledged allegiance to the flag of the United States during the National Anthem, primarily due to personal convictions around what he outspokenly sees as egregious disparities towards people of color at the hands of the law. His actions were naturally met with sweeping outcries of both protest and support, as he stood alone in the spotlight of history. Those set against his protest have intimated that his patriotism rings tepid at most, and have fiercely insisted that he put aside his differences in honor of standing for the flag during game openings, while those in support believe that standing for his core values at whatever the cost to generate attention and questions towards what he feels is contradictory in our society, is core to patriotism itself. "All, too, will bear in mind this sacred principle, that though the will of the majority is in all cases to prevail, that will to be rightful must be reasonable; that the minority possess their equal rights, which equal law must protect, and to violate would be oppression." - Thomas Jefferson.

In times of war and civil development, our nation, like any other, has been thoroughly divided with distinct lines of demarcation drawn in the sand that have invariably strained the country in very impacting ways. In the middle of it all were those on both sides, and those indifferent, that saw patriotism and the nation contained through the experience of their own unique lens and needs be they inclusive or not. Two cornerstone examples of such direct polarity are the very stark opposing sides of The Civil Rights/American Rights Movement(s), where supporters of the movement(s) and those opposing them saw two very different Americas and the flag that represents her, a flag that the movement(s) held in deference, yet raised questions as to how it identified with those seeking safe and secure equity under her protection and care, while those not in support of the movements sought to preserve and maintain a way of life as defined by their upbringing and circumstances, a belief system that they felt was threatened.  

America was founded on the principles of questioning powers that which a group found inequitable; and while the framers of the constitution held human property themselves through slave holdings, they too provided the constitutional road map of that which is "self evident", for a burgeoning nation that at times appears to be growing in its collective ability to listen with empathy, and at other times, one that seems to continue towards heightened levels of disconnect. To be a patriot, and its meaning defined, will continue to be elusive and personal for all bearers of its presence within them, the needs it services in their life, and the experiences that have led them there. Perhaps in time, the nation and its humanity will seek to greater understand each other, their needs, and the experiences alive within them, in hopes of increasing the value of what this lifetime means to each citizen within its lapping shores....

Davidione Pearl

Freelance writer, musician, photographer, and philanthropic traveler.

Read More on
Volume 8, Issue 10, Posted 6:59 AM, 10.03.2016