Patriotism is timeless

Professional baseball, referred to as America's pastime, has started a new season.  For me, one of the best parts of attending a game is the playing of the National Anthem.  Thanks to a change in federal law, as a veteran and retired Marine, I can now stand, assume the position of ATTENTION, and salute, just as I did while in uniform.  Even as a gray beard in his 60s, it is a source of pride and cause for goose pimples, because patriotism is timeless.

And one of Major League Baseball's Top 100 Plays illustrates it perfectly.  Watch what ball player Rick Monday does as two miscreants attempt to burn an American flag.  http://agencypages.net/AgencyPages/11-52/

Rick Monday's actions on that beautiful afternoon at the ball park sum it up quite clearly.  His comments in the film clip vocalize it quite clearly.  "It was wrong then.  It is wrong now."

If memory serves, between then and now some court somewhere declared burning the American flag is permissible.  Something about free speech.  Well, it's not permissible in the eyes of this gray beard, this retired Marine.  And it never will be.  Patriotism is timeless.

I took my oath of office, facing the flag and ending with, "So help me God."  I marched behind the flag in parades.  In the offices I held as Commanding Officer, I was entrusted with the care of the command's battle colors and the American flag.  At funerals for my fellow Marines, such as Doc (see earlier blog), and my father (a World War II Army grunt) the caskets were covered with the flag and the widow or parents were presented an American flag as a symbolic statement of honor for the deceased.  As an American flag was raised above Mount Surabachi on Iwo Jima, Joe Rosenthal took what is the most famous combat photograph in the world.  Our soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines wear the American flag on their combat uniforms.  I wear an American flag patch on my motorcycle vest/jacket, as do the vast majority of bikers I know.

The flag is the symbol of our nation.  Hell, even our enemies recognize this, as their burn the flags or replicas of them when protesting our nation.

But some court and many liberals see nothing wrong with desecrating the flag, burning it, flying the Mexican flag above it, and otherwise acting as though it is meaningless.  The liberals celebrate some court's decision that students in public schools don't have to recite the Pledge of Allegiance.  They complained mightily when some of our troops inappropriately, mistakenly, and wrongly burned copies of the Koran.  But the hypocritical liberals don't complain when someone burns, defaces, or desecrates our flag.

I have a suggestion for them.  View the above video.  Watch one man's action.  Listen to the story of those in attendance spontaneously singing "God Bless America."  If that doesn't stir your patriotism, I have a simple solution.

Leave.

If you don't love our country, you are free to depart.  If you aren't willing to stand up against those who would defile, burn, or desecrate the flag, then leave.  No one is holding you here against your will.  Act as a responsible citizen or depart.  You can't have it both ways.  You can't demand to enjoy the privileges of citizenship without assuming its associated responsibilities.  

Patriotism is timeless.  If you aren't a patriot, then you need to leave.