Whenever I hear the word “patriotism,” I think of George Bernard Shaw’s definition of it: “Patriotism is, fundamentally, a conviction that a particular country is the best in the world because you were born in it.”
Or one remembers Trump, a draft-dodger and now election-denying traitor, hugging the American flag.
So, reading the title of Duane Sherwood’s May 24 commentary, “Memorial Day musings on the meaning of patriotism,” I started getting nervous. But my misgivings were premature. Mr. Sherwood is spot-on about how patriotism should be expressed, especially in his four points about how basic American values are often not respected.
About 50 years ago, I knew a fellow (and much more talented) math student, Alex, who, like me, had been drafted and was now back to being a civilian. Unlike me, Alex had been sent to Vietnam. At the time, I thought he had served in the back lines, at least somewhat safe from harm. However, recently another friend from the time, who had also been drafted and nearly killed in Vietnam, discovered Alex’s obituary.
It was not surprising that he had become a published math professor, but we also learned that he had gotten the Bronze Star. I remember him once being annoyed at someone’s irritation that he was getting “free” benefits from the GI Bill. As he said, it wasn’t free.
Veterans have no more rights than anyone else, but sometimes when rights and benefits are being weighed, it’s good to acknowledge their service. Too often, it’s “thank you for your service,” now get lost.
Kem Phillips
Cavendish