"Patriotism"...What It IS and Is NOT

I have always loved the origin and meaning of words so I automatically went to the dictionary to scout out the true meaning of "patriotism." JULY is usually the month with flags flying high and the National Anthem ringing out many a time on the air and likewise in parades — held everywhere it seems. For a long time I have questioned how true love of the Gospel, i.e. for Christians, can synchronize with patriotism—meaning "a willingness to go to war." There is no mention of war in the definition for "Patriotism," but rather WordNet defines the term as "love of country and willingness to sacrifice for it." In fact, for many of us, patriotism means exactly the opposite of going to war— i.e. allowing the killing of even our enemy in war. "Protecting the U.S. from our enemies" seems to be justification for so many people going into one of the services. Really, has any of our wars ever brought about a lasting peace and thereby "protected the people of the United States?" Honestly, has our weapon-making truly promoted Gospel PEACE? Project Peace, Pax Christi, and Nonviolent Tiffin make a sincere, conscious effort to address the violence in our midst and the global violence we as a country initiate or in which we participate. We try to become informed about the truth of any specific event of violence. We check out different sources of information. When possible, we invite speakers who have a current firsthand experience with a particular violence to speak with us. We advocate, push ourselves into active nonviolence by visiting or writing our legislators— state and federal. We raise the common-good issues on the corner downtown Tiffin every Friday at 4:00. We will be having a booth in the Old Merchants Building during the Seneca County Fair. We are all individuals needing the support of each other in these confusing times. "Patriotism" IS a willingness to sacrifice for the common good of all people, not just our country. When the U.S. is transparent in telling its people the truth and is willing to work to build up countries in their infrastructure and economy rather than fight or send more weapons, THAT is true patriotism. When we protest the evil done by our government, THAT is patriotism. When we "call out" the lies of any politician—both Republican and Democrat, THAT is patriotism. "Calling out" need not be done in ugly language. When we as Christians make decisions based on Gospel values, THAT is PATRIOTISM! I've seen the moral dilemmas of soldiers returning from combat—life in the trenches. I've visited a Veteran's Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. I've dialogued with a Veteran who, in returning to the U.S. after participating in the Vietnam War, spilled out rage in these words that sent shivers down my spine: "Sister, I'd rip the Cong's body right down the middle and feel good about it." I invited a former student of mine who was on leave from the army told me: "Guess what! I used a gun in training that can enter an "enemy's" body on one end and ricocheting to the other end of his body." In reflecting, I know that I really know NOTHING of the horror and gravity of spirit that soldiers in combat know, but I know that killing, deliberately maiming and inflicting any other kind of deliberate pain on people –it's all wrong and is NOT true patriotism and a true living out of one's Christianity. "Patriotism" and Gospel values must synchronize.