"Make the Fourth of July more meaningful"

Letter-to-the-Editor by Brian P. Moore, Florida

Published Thursday, July 2, 2009 on-line, St. Petersburg Times
Printed Edition, Friday, July 3, 2009, Pasco, St. Petersburg Times

"Makethe Fourth more meaningful"
It seems like most articles on the day after the Independence Day holiday usually report on military demonstrations or parades, rifle or gun shooting events, target practicing efforts, park fireworks, along with numerous pictures and displays of our country's flag.
While patriotism is a trait to be proud of occasionally, it seems on most national holidays, and especially on July Fourth, Old Glory and the military always are the focal points.
Patriotism and nationalism should not be built on nostalgia, symbols or politicians' generalities, but based on one's behavior or citizens' individual acts of conscience. Our country should be promoting virtues of liberty and acts of justice, rather than martial actions, wars or wrapping ourselves in the flag.
It is also unpatriotic for Florida, and our country, to promote an industry of defense contractors, and to affiliate their services and contracts so much with patriotism, and to connect our public universities and colleges shamelessly with their research efforts for defense.
It is also unpatriotic to draw our country into a mistaken war and then keep extending the involvement, with untold casualties to soldiers and innocent civilians, while not telling Americans the truth. And why isn't the poor treatment of returning veterans treated by the same standards as when our young soldiers are sent off to war? And why isn't our treatment of the poor, the old and even the average working American citizen, especially when it comes to health care and salary levels, considered unpatriotic?
And why is it unpatriotic for antiwar demonstrators, who take some risks while doing it, to be accused of hurting America by the very political and business leaders who are doing just that?
As Ralph Nader has said, "Patriotism begins … by working to end poverty, discrimination, corruption, greed and other unfair conditions that weaken the promise and potential of America."
It is time to reinterpret patriotism, and to treat the July Fourth holiday differently, not something to drape as a deceptive cloak around activities that mar our ideals, but rather to uphold as individuals and as a nation united.
Brian P. Moore, Spring Hill

Website Designed and mantained by WebpyeUSA