Solemn reflection

When I found out early Monday morning that Osama Bin Laden had been killed by U.S. special forces, I was pleased to know that he would never have the satisfaction of getting away with his act of mass murder.  At the same time, it rekindled memories from the past decade.  Since that tragic day nearly ten years ago, I have had the personal honor to visit/view all three 9/11 attack locations. First the Pentagon from Arlington National Cemetery in 2002, then Shanksville, Pennsylvania, in 2007, and finally Ground Zero in 2010.  Each was memorable in its own way.

Of the three sites, Shanksville, Pennsylvania, had the greatest impact on me. Why? Two reasons. First, the starkness of the crash site is bounded by the long, beautiful, tree-covered ridges of the Allegheny Mountains. Both the Pentagon and Ground Zero had extensive reconstruction taking place, which may have limited the visual impact.  Shanksville also reminded me the most of a battlefield — so often they are situated in lovely locations. I find it quite ironic that such horror so often takes place amid such pastoral and scenic beauty. Antietam, Gettysburg, Saratoga, Chickamauga, Valley Forge, Bushy Run, Kennesaw Mountain, Cowpens, Little Big Horn, and many others are remarkably scenic considering what took place there.

The other factor which impacted me at Shanksville was the people. Out in the middle of nowhere makeshift shrines had been created. Visitors were listening to speakers discuss what happened there on September 11th, as well as the plans for a future memorial on the site. Others were deep in their own private thoughts, quietly reflecting on those who lost their lives.

At one especially poignant moment, a gentleman wearing jeans and a leather jacket rode up to the site on his motorcycle with a set of bagpipes strapped to the back of his seat. He quietly walked beyond the viewing area and out in front of the crowd. There he stood with only the crash site and the Pennsylvania landscape behind him and played a heart-stirring rendition of “Amazing Grace.” The couple hundred of us gathered in attendance were silent in unified spirit as he played each note perfectly on key. Upon completion of the song, everyone applauded. Afterwards, this gentleman quietly strode back to his Harley, reaffixed his bagpipes to the back of the seat, climbed aboard, and then fired up its engine and rode off.  All in all, it was one of the most moving and patriotic experiences I have ever encountered.

I will always remember that gentleman on the motorcycle. It did not matter whether we were liberal, progressive or conservative; Republican, Democrat or Independent;  native born or emigrant;  male or female; tall or short; or young or old. For those few minutes while he played the bagpipes, we were as unified as Americans ever can or will be. My oh my, it was a great feeling.

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Mocking true patriotism

Every now and then while traversing the country I will see a business with an enormously oversized American flag out front. Other times, I will see an occasional business with dozens of American flags dotting its site. Furthermore, while watching football games, far too often in my personal opinion, the field is draped in a humongous flag during the national anthem.

I do not know about you, but in each of these instances I feel the entity or organization is actually mocking true patriotism. They are insinuating that only those who display and boast of their patriotism in absurdly colossal ways are the most patriotic. Sorry, but in my own opinion they could not be more wrong.

When the Marines raised the flag at Iwo Jima, nobody stopped them saying, “hey wait a minute, we need a larger flag or else we won’t look patriotic enough.” I do not recall Betsy Ross having ever being criticized for sewing too small of a flag and Francis Scott Key certainly never noted the enormity of flag flying over Fort McHenry in the Baltimore harbor. So what makes certain entities overdo it?

I have a couple of theories: advertising and low self-esteem. Many businesses employ flags as a way of getting around sign ordinances. Let’s be honest, if a huge flag (or bazzillions of little flags) draw attention to a particular business, the real purpose is advertising, not true patriotism. Then, when they are questioned on the need for such a display, some have the audacity to start questioning the patriotism of those making the inquiries.

Secondly, there are people who have a low self-esteem. To boost their egos, they have to do things in a big way to garner desired attention. Otherwise, they worry that nobody may notice them. While a sad commentary, improving your ego is not a form of patriotism.

On a smaller scale, why does wearing a flag lapel pin determine if you are patriotic or not? I can recall this being a big whoop of an issue during the 2008 campaign. Symbolism is just that, symbolic, not literal. Sadly, not enough people in this country dig deeper into a topic to learn the real facts, so far too often the symbolic trumps the literal, the rational, the logical, and the truthful.

 

Arlington National Cemetery c/o http://www.arlingtoncemetery.mil

Patriotism is an intensely personal emotion. If you feel the need to broadcast your patriotism in a big and flashy manner, not only have you done a disservice to those who gave their lives (without fanfare), but you also demonstrate how little you understand true patriotism. Why is visiting a national cemetery like Arlington or those  in Normandy such a moving experience?  It is because of the simplicity of the honors bestowed on those who gave their lives. No one soldier is more important than another. Likewise, no one patriot is or should more important than another.

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