The Dissonance Between Patriotism and Fanaticism

(The following is an editorial comment; a statement of opinion. It is not presented as fact. Therefore, it cannot be viewed as "wrong" any more than it can be guaranteed to be "right".)

Another Memorial Day has passed, but in some respects I'm not sure we really understand the point. Facebook friends dutifully posted well-intentioned reminders that the holiday is supposed to mean much more than another 3-day weekend filled with picnics, outdoor grilling and ice cold beverages.  It is a day to remember those who were lost in conflicts that none of us started, but which we rallied together to finish.  We put out the flag, sing patriotic songs and parade the ever diminishing community of members of "the greatest generation" who fought what some have called "the last good war".

It is a day that is a study in contrasts--gratitude to those who have served (and died) in uniform and painful reminders of what Rev. Russel Shuluga (Sewickley United Methodist Church) described as the "sacrifice of their futures".

Many Americans mistakenly confuse patriotism with fanaticism.  Patriotism is "devoted love, support, and defense of one's country; national loyalty." (patriotism. (n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged. Retrieved May 28, 2013,  from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/patriotism)  Fanaticism is practicing extreme, irrational or immutable devotion to a person or a cause.  I have lived long enough to see America-Firsters loudly and vigorously demand that we live by the motto "America--Love It or Leave It".  I have also seen some in the intelligentsia of our society question the legitimacy of the American experiment even while leveraging the very freedoms it provides.  Who is right?  Who is wrong?  After all, one man's patriot is another man's fanatic, right?

This is the point at which dissonance replaces distinction.  Dissonance forces us to focus on the incongruities we live under rather than celebrating the shared distinctiveness of our pluralistic society.  Dissonance is what tells us that when we believe we are behaving like a patriot we can only see the other guy as a fanatic.  If you remember 9/11 then you've seen the risks of perpetuating dissonance.  In our pain and anger some of us determined that merely looking different or having an ethnic-sounding name meant you were affiliated with terrorists and therefore deserving of vigilante justice.

This "with us or against us" view of the events that shake us out of blissful ignorance may serve our emotionalism, but I don't believe it reflects true patriotism. Patriots must be accountable for the defense of and any assaults on our constitutional freedoms. Fanatics believe their country can do no wrong, so any argument to the contrary sets up the intractable "us & them" mindset.

Let me be clear--I am not advocating becoming an apologist for American actions and ideals. The world is far too complex for such simple responses. Still, as a nation, we must remember that there are always consequences which result from both popular and unpopular decisions. Denying ownership of the outcomes is what fanatics do. Accepting our imperfections but striving to do and be better is the stuff of real patriots. In my opinion.