"Candidly Yours"

September 24, 2001

With the Blood of Patriots
by Linda A. Prussen-Razzano

Each part of the country has its own risks. Certain states rest on fault lines or are subject to seasonal flooding. Certain states along the East Coast are vulnerable to Hurricane Season, which can result in minor inconveniences or the devastation of entire communities. Yet, despite the rumbling of the earth, the torrential rains, and the gale force winds, most occupants of these areas are still quite comfortable living there. Unless the damage is heart-wrenchingly overwhelming, as it was during Hurricane Andrew, they can even joke about their experiences.

In what pundits call "fly over country," or middle America, several states have earned the title "Tornado Alley." Those who live here very rarely find a reason to laugh at tornadoes. The sheer randomness of the destruction, the very limited warnings of impending danger, and the acute force with which these windy monsters strike reduces everyone to cowering creatures, huddling in closets, bathtubs, or storm shelters. Every thunderstorm is closely monitored for potential trouble; every sudden, strong breeze turns eyes skyward. Those of us in Tornado Alley live with the perpetual knowledge that if God so chooses, He can reduce our homes and everything we possess to kindling in less than a minute. Sometimes, a minute is all we have to seek shelter.

My point?

I believe Americans responded so resoundingly and supportively to the victims in New York City, Washington, and Pennsylvania not so much from our innate patriotism, but from our ability to instantly sympathize with those whose lives ended so brutally. Far too many Americans have experienced their own brushes with disaster, most of them inflicted by nature. They immediately felt a pronounced kinship with their fellow citizens across the country. The sense of helplessness, of desperation, of needing others in a time of crisis struck many hearts on a deeply personal level.

Combined with this instant reminder of personal trials was the sickening awareness of slaughtered innocents; ordinary folks living ordinary lives, simply going about the noble business of taking care of their families. The only thing the victims had in common was their perceived nationality; the terrorists saw them as Americans, killed them because they were Americans or on American soil. The stark realization that this could have happened to any American has rallied otherwise contentious parties to several commendable causes: comfort for the victims and their families, recognition of our everyday heroes, and reclamation of our national pride.

To be brutally blunt, there are plenty of members in the "hate America" crowd, enough denizens of the "greedy America is the root of all evil" conclave. For the last three decades, they’ve told us how our patriotism is misplaced, the American flag is a symbol of oppression, and words like duty and loyalty are signs of ignoble ignorance. Many of their anti-American sentiments were frightfully successful. They condemned America for interfering with other countries, then castigated America for being isolationist. They slanted stories to destroy our national morale, made baseless charges on Page 1 and less than contrite retractions on the bottom of Page 26, and distorted the language so that every attempt towards unification was warped, instead, into a rallying cry for some "oppressed" group.

Watch for them in the weeks to come. Before, their numbers were prominent; now, they will stand out like sore thumbs.

This is not the only noticeable change.

Astute politicians, recognizing the reinvigoration of proud, national ethnocentricity, have suddenly draped themselves in the same flag some of their supporters were spitting on just two weeks ago. Instead of causing a further rift between individuals and their religious beliefs, the attacks prompted many Americans to once again discover their faith in a Divine Power and/or to personally plumb the depths of their souls. Craving honesty and clarity, desperate for strength and genuine guidance, Americans are no longer satisfied with wily words and contrivances. They ache for the genuine article and will instantly reject cheap artifices.

The vast majority of pundits shall, for the time being at least, relegate the pettiness of past political discourse to the nearest garbage pail. In stark contrast to true victims, whose lives ended so publicly and horrifically just a few short days ago, media-promoted "wannabe victims" will be dismissed as charlatans and their cheerleaders as enablers. Those who pull inane, political punches will see their careers end abysmally. Those who embrace symbolism over substance will soon join the aforementioned.

America has been centered – not centered in a political sense, but centered at the core of its national soul. Everything we took for granted just over a week ago is now intimately precious; everything we thought was important has been prioritized anew. America has embraced the awful – but necessary – realization that our lives and livelihoods are not guaranteed; they must constantly be guarded by and defended with the blood of patriots. For surely, if we do not guarantee our very existence, all other wants, concerns, and desires are moot.

If any good can come out of the immense evil savaged on our country, let it be this: Americans do not lose their renewed sense of purpose, their heightened desire to impart good will on their fellow citizens, and their pride in being part of a nation that, despite its flaws, is still the greatest nation on earth. If we can do this, then those who insist otherwise will still retain the right to besmirch the very country that guarantees their freedom to defame it, but their cries will no longer dominate the public voice or sway the public’s heart.

As we have recently rediscovered, patriotism is not a brand of shame. It is a distinction that separates those who are willing to die for ideals greater than themselves, and those who are not. ***

© 2001 Linda Prussen-Razzano