tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13589532.post6398497265476060623..comments2023-10-09T04:11:47.358-07:00Comments on Not A Potted Plant: The Sixty Second Patriot #2Burt Likkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16060980744675990412noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13589532.post-27994378027786864802010-03-18T07:35:04.055-07:002010-03-18T07:35:04.055-07:00On second thought, M1rth, I'll take this as co...On second thought, M1rth, I'll take this as <i>constructive</i> criticism. Would you question the sincerity of the project less if I took the quotation marks out of the recurring postscript?Burt Likkohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16060980744675990412noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13589532.post-31505244199020823242010-03-18T06:51:31.075-07:002010-03-18T06:51:31.075-07:00I haven't a clue has to how you infer a "...I haven't a clue has to how you infer a "deep-seated hatred for America" from my suggestion that people, and children in particular, engage in "patriotic exercises." Nor do I understand why the use of quotation marks is intended to be a "scare" tactic. The use of quotation marks means I'm using someone else's words, in this case words found in California Education Code section 52720.<br /><br />I'm very much in favor of pride in America and I happen to like this nation very, very much. My patriotism did not originate from rote recital of the Pledge of Allegiance as a child; it originates from my study of our nation's history and system of government, especially our Constitutional commitment to individual freedoms and our historical trend to increase application of those freedoms to more and more people and come ever closer to fulfilling the sweeping ideals articulated in our founding documents.<br /><br />With that said, a real patriot's attitude is NOT "my country, right or wrong, but still my country." There is no inconsistency between loving and admiring your nation and at the same time wanting to see it improve. You are an example of that yourself -- you think that we could use a little more nationalism. You, too, want to improve America. I really, really, don't understand why you're offended by the idea of engaging in an exercise in giving kids real reasons why they ought to be patriots, why America has EARNED their loyalty.Burt Likkohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16060980744675990412noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13589532.post-41365435412264205512010-03-18T05:16:57.377-07:002010-03-18T05:16:57.377-07:00Putting "patriotic exercises" in scare q...Putting "patriotic exercises" in scare quotes is just one way of saying you have a deep-seated hatred for America.<br /><br />Really, think about it. America is probably the LEAST patriotic nation out there, especially in terms of what we do for patriotic exercises these days. <br /><br />We could use a little more nationalism, a little more "take care of our own issues first", and a lot more civic pride. And nothing degrades them faster than people who insist that having pride in one's community and nation is some sort of twisted disease.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14726293667099175632noreply@blogger.com