God mend thine every flaw,
Confirm thy soul in
self-control,
Thy liberty in law!
--Katherine Lee Bates,
"America
the Beautiful", 1911
Just what does it mean to be a patriot and patriotic and who
gets to decide?
This is at the heart of a culture wide debate that's emerged
in the past two weeks as many NFL players, coaches and owners have chosen to
take a knee or thrust a fist in the air, during the playing of the national
anthem before games. In response many of
the fans in the stands, fellow citizens, even the President, have chosen to
critique these protests as unpatriotic.
Some history: though the "Star Spangled Banner" is
now routinely played and sung before thousands of professional and amateur
sporting events, it was not always so. The tradition first began in baseball,
in 1862, during a professional game in Brooklyn at the height of the Civil War
and then later, in Boston,
1918, during the World Series, at a time when World War I raged. There followed periodic occurrences. Then during
World War II in 1942, Major League Baseball adopted this ritual as the norm
before all games. The NFL adopted it as official league policy in August 1945.
It's telling to note that the context in the past, for players and
fans to stand and sing the anthem, was always during wartime. There were few in
the stands or on the field who had not been directly touched, effected, or hurt
by war and the communal sacrifices it demanded.
Especially in World War II, essentially everyone at the game had
sacrificed: served, fought, faced war rationing, worked in a war factory, hung
blue or gold stars in their front windows, signifying a member of the household
serving overseas. A gold star meant that a family had lost a son or daughter to
war. I'd say those folks were certainly
patriots and patriotic.
But today, at least for this fan and citizen, the singing of
the national anthem at games, save for a rare poignant moment, like at the first
New York Yankees game after 9/11, or the
first game after the Marathon bombings, when the fields were filled with first
responders, well...now the anthem can seem rote. A ritual, still with great aspirations, but
one which means...what? What does it mean when we sing that song in 2017 at a
game? That's a question no one has asked, certainly not with any great thought.
What does it mean for you? As you participate in this
tradition, do you feel like you are a patriot, patriotic? Is this what makes one a lover of
country? To know all the words (at least
the first verse), to doff one's cap, put hand over heart and stand?
I'd say sing too, but most of the time when I'm at the park singing,
very few of my seatmates join in. And
what of the many other people in or outside of the stadium or at home watching
on TV? As New York Times sportswriter John Branch wrote this week,
"As players continue being judged by their postures during 'The Star
Spangled Banner,' perhaps it is fair to turn the lens around. Those who have
spent a lot of time in stadiums and arenas know that they are rarely
sanctuaries of patriotic conformity and decorum." Beer and food is still enthusiastically sold
during the anthem. Folks standing in security lines or tailgating don't stop
what they are doing. In living rooms, fans use the time to grab food or take a
bathroom break. Is that disrespectful of
the flag?
This whole dust up makes me wish I and my fellow country men
and women would actually have a substantive discussion about what it might really
mean to be a patriot and patriotic, to claim that title. Beyond the symbolism.
Beyond a three minute ritual that demands little of those who participate in it,
including me. Beyond the waving of flags and angry judgments by some against
the sincere actions of others.
What does it mean to be a patriot, patriotic?
To me it first means I need to humbly look at my own civic
life and ask, "How am I
doing?" Patriotism means a love of country so deep that I actually act on
that conviction: that my patriotic beliefs translate into patriotic behavior. Like
the woman or man who signs up to serve their country in the military and makes
that commitment. A person who exercises one of the freedoms enshrined in the
Constitution: freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom to assemble. Or
how about paying our fair share in taxes, no cheating allowed? Or voting every
chance we get, not just when it's convenient or "exciting" ? I know I
so respect folks who actively engage in the shared life of our towns and
cities: serve on a committee, run for office, or volunteer. Helping a neighbor
in need, collecting needed items or giving money for hurricane relief, helping
rebuild: to me, that's patriotic.
Can we please get beyond the tweets and the boos
and instead have a respectful dialogue about what it means to be a patriot and
patriotic, and who gets to decide? Let's work on our own patriotic lifestyles
(or lack thereof) before we so quickly condemn someone else. And the next time you find yourself at a game
and are maybe even standing next to me, feel free to join in and sing.
I'd love the company.
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