The Morning After

Now look out your window or open the front door and ask yourself, “Is it my turn to be a patriot today?” After the rockets red glare and the bombs bursting in air, am I now ready to be a true patriot? After the Iraq/9-11 speeches have fallen hollow and the pundits have started fires with their insensate spinning of half truths and misleading talking points. Is it now time for me to be a patriot?

Do not confuse a patriot with being patriotic. Everyone is patriotic out of pure unenlightened self-interest. We all want America to succeed and provide security and comfort. We all want better schools and better lives and better homes. We all find the time to rejoice in the luster of our credit ridden wealth. We all want to succeed more than others and have more than others and love more than others. This is human nature, and in America human nature is amplified. However, this is not the act of a patriot.

A patriot is selfless and communal in thought. A patriot looks closer and understands the essence of power, is to have more power. A patriot loves all and excludes none. A patriot does not give hubris filled speeches but listens for hours while those who disagree are given a clear forum for debate. A patriots holster is full of questions. A patriot lurks in all of us. The patriot is the selfless teacher. The patriot is a thoughtful broker of mediation and understanding. The patriot is just below our natural state, it is the core of our being a true American. A patriot has become a rare species in this time of disillusionment and fragmented views.

9/11 is not a time for tears and political conflagration. Instead, 9/11 is a time to reignite the embers of the patriot in all of us. Look past the corporate media and find a new way past the echo chamber. Do not believe your ears. Do not believe your eyes. Believe in your mind. Believe in your thoughts of righteous days gone by. Believe in effort. Believe in facts not commentary. Believe in yourself as a source of immeasurable strength against a tide of deceit and lies. Remember, these are only words; you and I have the power to restructure the echo chamber. Begin to read current books, from all sides of the political spectrum. Talk often with people about politics, and when talking only ask questions. Go beyond the news of TV and newspapers find the independent source of news for you. Turn off NPR and Radio news. You must find that patriot within before you can stop the spin