Define Patriotism

I was catching up on C-SPAN.  I missed a great deal of the real stuff that matters this week because I've been dealing with identity theft, first some man and his daughter's then in sychronicity, my own.  When I did turn on the Television, Dr. David Yeagley(frontpagemag.com columnist) was speaking.  He asked us to all define Patriotism.  Some of you who are familiar have labeled him as from the "radical" right, I know, but he admits to being conservative.  Those of you who know me, know that I too am somewhat conservative.  I'll share with you a letter I wrote to him. BRB.

Subj: Patriotism-Where opposing voices harmonize.  Date: 5/28/2005 8:50:55 PM Pacific Standard Time From: GoddessOf7Worlds To: badeagle@badeagle.com

The problems with "Patriotism" of any kind is that it relies upon the interpretations of mankind.  We can have collective patriotism and we can also have individual patriotism.  The latter often polarizes people, hence the terminology of "leftist" or "radical rights".

I don't visit that which polarizes groups of people often because I tend to seek out what creates adhesion.  What plucks at our collective hearts?  That is a question I ask myself often in just about any emotional challenge, whether it be the public manipulation of our attention regarding Terri Schiavo or the slap in our face commentary regarding our inability to positively support our cultural image as was the case in the "Red Lake" school.  These incidents pluck at us if we are paying attention and I believe we should be challenged when these things appear to us. 

For me, most informed sir, it isn't a Native American (Indian) thing.  It is a human thing.  I've noticed that through out the world, humans are grappling with cultural identity.  Emotions such as fear, anger and bitterness provoke us to blame others for a demise that hasn't yet fully come to fruit. (It ain't over till it's over) The altruists then come in and ponder the fruits of forgiveness, mercy, compassion and love.  For a season we are bandaged and nursed, both those from the left and those from the right.

The interesting thing I have noticed in my outrageous 40-plus years (47), is, without people going through the complete process, the left to the right, the angry to the compassionate; we repeat these battles until we learn to correctly apply  any true understanding we earned from these experiences.  It takes differing viewpoints hashed out in earnest battle before the minds of people can sufficiently be transformed.

I submit to you that true patriotism is born where the people of opposing ideas gather for reasoning which ultimately leads to an appropriate conclusion.

Note:

 Conservatives think before acting (against "fast-tracking").     Liberals believe in equal liberties (not neccessarily equal compensation). 
Progressives think outside the norm.
Radicals run over them all. 
Pluralists believe in body and spirit allowing the physical to govern the physical realm and the spirit to challenge things of a spiritual nature. 
Anti-pluralists believe that there is only one way, their way, the right way.   So when labels are thrown around, I am careful to examine those doing the labeling.

Thank you for speaking on C-SPAN.  I enjoyed considering the content of your words as well as the spirit in which they were delivered.

Sincerely,
Chelle Stockman (not a goddess of any world)