There’s a difference between symbolic patriotism and substantive patriotism. Symbolic patriotism is about standing and singing the Star-Spangled Banner, deifying the American flag, and reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. Substantive patriotism is about improving our country in tangible ways, which include serving in the military and on school boards, volunteering at soup kitchens and schools, staying informed on issues and voting, and criticizing our government with the hopes of improving it. Symbolic patriotism is easy and sometimes even mindless; substantive patriotism is what makes a country great.
Criticizing football players who exercise their free-speech right to kneel while the national anthem is played focuses on symbolic patriotism. The American flag is a symbol that represents different things to different people. I rarely agreed with former Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, whom President Trump admires, but I thank Scalia for his key vote in the decision that flag burning is constitutionally protected speech under the First Amendment. Compare that with Trump’s tweet: “Nobody should be allowed to burn the American flag - if they do, there must be consequences - perhaps loss of citizenship or year in jail!” Criminalizing flag burning, however unpatriotic most Americans consider it to be, is an unconstitutional attack on our cherished freedom of speech.
Our public schools train students to salute the flag and say the Pledge of Allegiance whether they understand it or not, because simply regurgitating the Pledge daily is supposed to make them more patriotic. That strategy succeeds if patriotism just means obediently following orders of those in power. Although we tend to view our founders as role models, we act more like them when we question the old order and try to improve it.
Discussions about the Pledge would be a significant improvement over mindless regurgitation. I’d prefer to see teachers lead class discussions on portions of the Pledge: What does it mean to pledge, and what is allegiance? Why to a flag? Why was “under God” added to the Pledge in 1954? Are we all under the same God, and the only such nation? And so on.
Starting the school day with discussions about our Bill of Rights would also be educational and might lead to informed, active citizenship. Understanding our Constitution and working to make our country better is substantively patriotic, and a lot more important than symbolically reciting pledges and waving flags.
Our public schools train students to salute the flag and say the Pledge of Allegiance whether they understand it or not, because simply regurgitating the Pledge daily is supposed to make them more patriotic. That strategy succeeds if patriotism just means obediently following orders of those in power. Although we tend to view our founders as role models, we act more like them when we question the old order and try to improve it.
Discussions about the Pledge would be a significant improvement over mindless regurgitation. I’d prefer to see teachers lead class discussions on portions of the Pledge: What does it mean to pledge, and what is allegiance? Why to a flag? Why was “under God” added to the Pledge in 1954? Are we all under the same God, and the only such nation? And so on.
Starting the school day with discussions about our Bill of Rights would also be educational and might lead to informed, active citizenship. Understanding our Constitution and working to make our country better is substantively patriotic, and a lot more important than symbolically reciting pledges and waving flags.
