Finding the Truth

Today is the 4th of July. When I was a little girl my grandfather bought Roman candles and skyrockets and the two of us endangered all the houses in that part of Englewood. Tonight I will buy fireworks and share with my 11-year-old friend the fun of endangering his parents' house.

But the significance tonight's fireworks is not the same as it was in my youth.

Then, although I was not acutely aware of it, the war to end wars had been fought and won by our fathers and uncles. It was the last of the "pure" wars. Justice had prevailed and we had made the world safe for democracy. There would be no more war in the world. Patriotism was an objective word - clear in it's meaning and not questioned. It meant love of country and the willingness to "die to make men free".

But in spite of that, between my childhood and Christopher's, there has been a major world war, which killed more than 400,000 Americans of my generation. There was a "police action" in Korea that killed over 50,000 and the Viet Nam war, which killed 60,000 of our sons and daughters.

And there was Hiroshima. The day the bomb fell, we entered a new world.

The concept of nationalism and patriotism has to be re-examined. The life of the planet is now at risk. Christopher's fireworks and mine do not mean the same thing.

Old style, traditional patriotism has lost its meaning. I was made especially aware of that when I saw, on the day after Flag Day, many of the little flags on 7th street lying on the ground. And, as usual, at the parade this morning most of the watchers sat comfortably in their chairs as the flag went by. The flag has become a symbol which far too many of us take for granted. Patriotism has become our security blanket in a world too frightening to face. The symbols, the flag, the stirring music, the speeches, which are so moving, let us believe that our world is still the same, that we are still invincible, that we are always right.

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." These stirring, beautiful words are as true a guideline for us today as the day they were written. But we aren't there yet.

If our children and our children's' children are to survive, if the planet is to survive, we are going to have to go beneath the symbols and broaden and deepen the meaning of patriotism.

"My country right or wrong" is no longer valid. The words of Samuel Johnson, "Patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel", are not yet true.

Patriotism is not just waving a flag. It is trying to make a better world, so Christopher's fireworks will continue to burn on the 4th of July.