Flag Day

Breathes there the man, with soul so dead,
Who never to himself hath said,
This is my own, my native land!
Whose heart hath ne'er within him burn'd,
As home his footsteps he hath turn'd
From wandering on a foreign strand!
If such there breathe, go, mark him well;
For him no Minstrel raptures swell;
High though his titles, proud his name,
Boundless his wealth as wish can claim;
Despite those titles, power, and pelf,
The wretch, concentred all in self,
Living, shall forfeit fair renown,
And, doubly dying, shall go down
To the vile dust, from whence he sprung,
Unwept, unhonour'd, and unsung.

Sir Walter Scott - My Native Land

Today is Flag Day.  It's an easy day to miss.  Unlike on other federal holidays, the banks and post offices remain open.  I remember it mainly because it used to be my job to remember it.  As a Coast Guard quartermaster my responsibilities included all manners of honors and ceremonies, including making sure that my ship displayed the appropriate flags and ensigns on Flag Day as well as other days of observance.

I also remember it because I have a strong emotional attachment to the flag and this country.  I really believe in American exceptionalism.  I believe that the founding and the history of the United States are truly unique among the nations of the world.  I take perverse pleasure in the way that the rest of the world seems to look upon us with a mixture of horror and disdain.  I think many foreigners wish that we were less "militaristic," less committed to Israel's security, less wealthy, less free, less religious, less American.  I, however, am glad that we are all those things.  I have traveled abroad several times during my life and I can remember experiencing pride and relief every time I return to the United States.  I can't stand bureaucrats and petty functionaries and yet for some reason the sight of U.S. customs and immigration agents at the airport makes me glad because it means I'm home.  And all these emotions are recalled whenever I sight the American flag.

However, I confess to experiencing some mixed feelings on this latest Flag Day.  The flag, any flag, really is just a symbol, a piece of cloth.  It derives its meaning from the country and the values it represents.  And unfortunately I think we are losing sight of the values that make America exceptional.  In my last post I described my newfound appreciation for James Garfield.  Garfield once said "Territory is but the body of a nation.  The people who inhabit its hills and valleys are its soul, its spirit, its life."  My Garfield post also described how he said that the citizens of this country are ultimately responsible for its government.  If our government is dysfunctional, incompetent, profligate or corrupt, it is because we tolerate it.

Our government is dysfunctional because it long ago abandoned any pretense of fidelity to the Constitution that established it.  Most members of Congress give no thought whatsoever to the question of whether or not a particular exercise of congressional power is actually authorized by the Constitution.  In their more unguarded moments they will admit this.  The fact that these people took an oath to uphold the Constitution appears to be completely lost on them.  They get away with it because most citizens are equally derelict in their duties.

So this Flag Day I'm actually feeling a little snarky.  To me, honoring the flag seems rather hollow when we've turned our backs on what it stands for.  I'm reminded of the words of Jesus: "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites!  You give a tenth of your spices - mint, dill and cummin.  But you have neglected the more important matters of the law - justice, mercy and faithfulness.  You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former."  Matt. 23:23 (NIV).  The outward shows of patriotism are important, but more important is the responsible exercise of citizenship.

Just sayin'.