WHO'S on First?
Country First.
Does that slogan invoke patriotism and allegiance for you?
Not me. It send chills down my spine. It reminds me of another leader who made had a similar slogan. "Deutschland Über Alles". Translated it reads "Germany above all" or "Germany over everything".
Is this the course of action you want in this country? No matter how immoral our character, you would still support it? No matter how unethical the practices of our leaders, you would still support them? Country First, Right or Wrong? Would you pledge allegiance to a country that support the rights of government over individual rights? If so, then you are not a patriot, you are an enemy to the ideals that founded this country.
The slogan "Country First" sounds greedy, self-centered, stubborn, and egotistical, not to mention it also goes against what people of faith believe, that one should always put God first, and God created all life on the planet, not only the life in this country. Even if we use God as a metaphor for the natural creation of the universe and the life within, it is still the result of this creation that should take precedence over man-made imaginary boundaries and ill-formed ideas we use to govern and provide for humanity.
Country First? I say NO. I say HELL NO. If my country is wrong, even if it is only my opinion, then I'm going to stand up and say something. Dissension is patriotic. It is political dissension that created this country and is a constitutional right. Our present leaders like to describe their own political dissenters as the same as those want to attack this country using violence, but it is not the same. It is possible to be a dissenter without taking rights away from people or causing the destruction of person or property.
If innocent people suffer because of a political ideology, then it is wrong, no matter who the aggressor. When our country causes the death and destruction of innocent lives and property, the our country is wrong, just like it is wrong when those kind of attacks happen to us. It is never righteous only because it is our country. Blind allegiance is ignorance. We are better than that, and we need to make this country always take a moral course of action, and when it doesn't, to stand up against it.
There are things our country is doing right now which are morally and ethical WRONG. We can't fight against our enemies for liberty, human rights, and fair justice if we are not the role models for those ideals. If you fight against an ideology which uses torture, the you can not use the same practices on your enemy, or you become the same as those you oppose.
As a member of the military I took an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States, against ALL enemies, foreign and domestic. To me that also means enemies within the government that wave an American flag or wear their patriotism on their lapel while insulting and ignoring the document that defines how our laws will be created and enforced in this country. It defines the architecture of our government and guarantees the right to dissent.
It is the people that create this "country" and keep it on a moral path. It will soon be election day, it is time the people speak up and let our representatives know of how we feel.
Country First? Right or Wrong? If you say yes, then you will be an loyal subject when fascism arrives.
. Crossposted on Backroads of My Mind
5 comments:
Good morning,
I've mentioned this author very often. Another passage that makes a whole lot of sense.
Here are the words of a very wise man, Anthony De Mello :
"You will never see me salute a flag. I abhor all flags because they are only idols. What do we need to salute? We must salute humanity, not a flag surrounded by an army. The flags are in the head of people. In fact, there are neither borders nor limits. They were placed there by the human brain, in general by idiotic and covetous politicians."
Nxx
Nancy - In the U.S. they teach children to pledge allegiance to a flag. A freaking FLAG. Not morality, not ethics, not the documents on which the government functions, but a freaking FLAG. They also teach them that they are unpatriotic if they don't follow this ritual. I see it as a brainwashing technique, to mold the mind of young children before they are taught critical thinking skills.
I have a special salute for people who pledge allegiance to symbol over ethic. It's called a fickle finger salute.
Wehave a nation-if we can keep it !
Truer words were never spoken. There is no federal agency, no federal nook or cranny, that hasn't been perverted under the Bush Administration.
I have no faith in the American electorate, unfortunately. Our national blood has been poisoned by fear and hate. We've lost our soul.
I agree with you that dissention is neccessary. With Obama accelerating our run towards socialism now more than ever we need to stand against our leaders. It is not unpatriotic or racist to resist these unconstitutional actions. We who disagree should treat this current president with the same respect that the dissentors treated Bush.
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