Nations

I watched the start of the Major League Baseball All-Star game the other night. It was the first game I've watched all year, and I'll note I didn't watch past the 4th inning or so. But I did see the National Anthem performed by Cheryl Crow. This got me thinking - should we be singing the praises of our country? What does this say about other countries? Isn't nationalism dangerous?

Let's take a look at the lyrics of the National Anthem of the United States of America (a song called "The Star Spangled Banner"):

O! say can you see by the dawn's early light

What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming.

Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight,

O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming.

And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,

Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.

Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

This is only the first verse, according to wikipedia, but it's the only one anyone really knows.

Here's what I notice about the lyrics right away: it's not about our brotherhood as citizens so much as it is a love song for our country's most notable symbol - the flag (although our most notable symbol could also easily be the golden arches or a coca cola logo). We seem to have an unusual fixation upon this cloth representation of our free and brave selves. In fact, we go so far as to pledge our allegiance to this piece of cloth in the Pledge of Allegiance:

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

So we seem to favor focusing on this symbol - a flag. Symbols are very powerful things. It's certainly more hypnotic to focus on a symbol than to discuss and sing directly about brotherhood, connection, equality, and acceptance. A symbol has more mass appeal. Plus, if you focus on the symbol, then it can be imbued with whatever values the top manipulators want to give it. How many times have you heard people argue about what the USA stands for: power, freedom, independence, money, military might, homeland security, diversity, democracy, etc. Some of these values are not in alignment.

We feel so arduously about the flag that many have sought to protect it's burning over the freedom it represents. Some would imprison you for exercising your freedom by destroying a piece of red, white, and blue cloth. Talk about allegiance to the flag.

As for the Pledge, we make our children repeat this oath each day at school until it's seared into their consciousness. It may be one of the most effective examples of mass hypnosis on record. Who ever really stops to think about what they're saying here - especially when they're 8 years old? "I pledge my allegiance?" Wow! I was a practicing Catholic for 21 years and I rarely recall having to publicly state my perpetual commitment to God. I think I did it once and it was called Confirmation.

If you plan on making war as a country, or fear being warred upon, it makes sense to indoctrinate your citizens with a countlessly repeated public oath of duty to your country, but the concept seems a bit to nationalistic to me.

Hey, I love this country and the people here. We've got a good thing going, and I am all for singing about my love for the things we like about the USA. I just wish we could do it with a bit more consciousness and depth. And let's lose this Pledge thing.

Can I get an Amen?