What does patriotism and loyalty mean? Your Constitutional Calendar jurist - Judge Hirsch- has the very topical answer:
The “Cold War” was already under way when, in the September, 1947, issue of Harper’s Magazine, preeminent American historian Henry Steele Commager published an essay entitled, “Who is Loyal to America?”. That essay – which resulted in Commager being vilipended as a “commie” in hate mail and even in some newspapers – included this memorable passage:
"It is easier to say what loyalty is not than what it is. It is not conformity. It is not passive acquiescence to the status quo. It is not preference for everything American over everything foreign. It is not an ostrich-like ignorance of the other countries and other institutions. It is not the indulgence in ceremony – a flag salute, an oath of allegiance, a fervid verbal declaration. It is not a particular creed, a particular vision of history, a particular body of economic practices, a particular philosophy.
"It is a tradition, an ideal, and a principle. It is a willingness to subordinate every private advantage for the larger good. It is an appreciation of the rich and diverse contributions that can come from the most varied sources. It is allegiance to the traditions that have guided our greatest statesmen and inspired our most eloquent poets – the traditions of freedom, equality, democracy, tolerance, and the tradition of Higher Law, of experimentation, cooperation, and pluralism. It is the realization that America was born of revolt, flourished on dissent, became great through experimentation."
Under information and belief, the Republican party has already denounced the Haper magazine's piece, Henry Steele Commager, and this blog as dangerous and radical and wrong. MAGA loyalty is all about indulgence of ceremony and sum over substance, saying the pledge of allegiance, and the preference of everything American over everything else. In summary, Judge Hirsch has uncovered a missive 69 years from the past, to our current troubles.
And who else but he could do so?
Who else would use the word vilipended? smfh
ReplyDeleteAmerican exceptionalism is as misunderstood by the Left as by the Right.
ReplyDeleteNo, America is not "an idea". Nor is American patriotism and culture defined by "dissent".
If one takes two steps back, and clears the propaganda out of one's eyes, it's readily apparent how ridiculous these notions are. Is your family an "idea"? Is your marriage healthy if its defining feature is "dissent"?
Of course not. That would be ridiculous. Your family exists as real, flesh and blood people who live in an actual domicile. Anyone who convinces you your family is merely an "idea" is one step away from moving into your living room and commandeering your toothbrush. Why not? They can have the same "idea" as you.
Your marriage, if you are so blessed, thrives because you humble your own desires for independence along with your spouse, so the two of you can build something together. Here's an example: Be an English-only speaker in Miami and date a Spanish-only Venezuelan. Easy to do. Will you two have a healthy, committed relationship? Who needs a common tongue? You'll have a lot of things, but not that.
America, because it is made up of human people, is a community of citizens who share a culture, a worldview, a history, a jurisprudence, touchstones and life goals, and yes -- a border. Can people cross our border and join us? Of course. Can people dissent from our orthodoxies? Sure, look at Biden's crypto-Nazi speech last night, face scrunched in hate, soldiers behind him, demonizing half the nation as evil -- easy to dissent from this clown. But if all we have is dissent, we have nothing. We must, all of us, acknowledge our President, even if he is senile and bent on dividing us.
All of this "America is an idea" and "Dissent is Patriotism" Orwellian garbage is only as old as the post-war era, would have made our founding fathers retch, and led directly to the social upheavals of today. Reject it.
America is its people and its soil. Just like Japan, Canada, Germany, Ukraine, Botswana, and dare I say, Israel.
Tell any of those nations that their people and land do no matter, that they're an "idea".
Not wanting to be vilipended, Coco gave up his court side seats at the Serena Williams US open match and took two seats in the second tier with his head turning mystery date. Who got the Coco court sliders ? A couple of 9/11 heroes don cha know
ReplyDeleteCome on. He’s with tennis phenom Emma Raducanu. They’re an item. Sort of. Like maybe. The TV cameras are all over then.
ReplyDeleteI see that Hanzy immediately flew to his villa in Taormina in Sicily within hours after they completed the Surfside collapse trials. No press conference. No comment to anyone. I’m sure he and Coco are working on their book. Just incredible to watch both of them. Like Lenny Glick and Phil Bloom. The next generation.
ReplyDeleteThe reality is that America is the greatest country in the world because it is a collection of similarly spirited people who came here from somewhere else. Schwarzenegger, Musk, the guy who turned a fifties car into a boat(twice)and drove it across the Florida straits, the guy who traverses a desert with a canteen of water to work in a slaughterhouse in Nebraska, the slave who survives a trip across the ocean and who’s descendants overcome 400 years of abuse, along with many others were American spirited at birth. On the other hand, just because you were born here doesn’t make you a true American. For instance, the collection of scum that attacked the capital on January 6 and those that abide them were never true Americans no matter where they were born.
ReplyDelete“Half the nation”? Fuck you 3:06. The President was calling out the clamorous gang of Trumpers who attacked the capitol and now beg for mercy in court and the Trumpers who mass shoot decent Americans almost on a daily basis. More destructive than the average asshole to be sure but hardly “half the nation”. He certainly wasn’t talking about the Cheneys, McCains, Flakes and Kinzingers. He was talking about the draft dodging pussy who turned his back on the country and those who blow him for the support of 30% of the modern Republican Party.
ReplyDeleteSo hostile and vulgar. McCain and Cheney are warmongers. Trump is anti-war. You miss the forest for the trees. Don't confuse showtime for real time. Don't look at peoples words in politics look at their actions. Look at results. Look around you now. There's war in Eastern Europe. Inflation like we've never seen in our lives. Not To mention all the political correctness. Things are not so great and dare I say, not as good as when Trump was in office. I understand why people hate trump. I don't understand why people hate Biden too? Everyone needs to chill out. And stop with all the hypocrisy.
Delete09/03@4:38a for president!
ReplyDeleteTypical arrogance of the left. The president called out all 75 million of us. By the way. How about the folks that attacked federal courthouses. Biden turned up the temperature. Hopefully, the election will cool it down.
ReplyDelete4:38 The president could not have been clearer, He was calling out all 75 million of us who voted for Trump and are appalled at the mess that Biden is making of our economy and our country. The Jan 6 thing was stupid, but hardly placed the country in peril, unlike the attacks on the Supreme Court, the fires of last summer which resulted in NO arrests. Biden has turned the temperature way up, but he is a moron. Hopefully, the election will turn the temperature down some.
ReplyDelete6:56, In spite of the feeble attempt to rewrite history, I remember death, disease, destruction and discord as the emblems of the long Trump 4 years. Unemployment is currently at sub 3.5 and your boy Putin is smoking a turd. Must I remind you of the disaster that was the revolving doors of Trump cabinet officials culminating with mass resignations? What are the plans? There aren’t enough pillow guys to fill a cabinet.
ReplyDeleteMany. Judge Hirsch would do well to spend less time writing his discursive and prolix commentaries, and more time focusing on his job.
ReplyDeleteAgree
DeleteDavid Miller denies continuance to attorney for the birth of his daughter even though it's the first time up for trial even though the parties agree to it.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/article265348906.html