Unitarian Universalist Church of Palo Alto

Reflection - Patriotism in Time of War

Dave Weber
August 15, 2004
Palo Alto, CA

This was not an easy reflection to write. For one thing, patriotism and war are highly emotional and potentially divisive issues. For another, I couldn't think of anything humorous to say. War can be absurd, but it is never funny. Let me begin by saying that I am an American, a citizen of this land of opportunity, energy, and compassion, where, in principle, character rather than social class determines worth, and all are free to express their political opinions. I have a heritage of courageous forebears who created the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, and the Emancipation Proclamation. I have much to be thankful for in being American, and I love my country.

What constitutes a proper expression of this love in time of war? This is a troubling question. Some don uniforms and give their lives over to their government, abandoning their personal freedom and putting their faith in those in power. Personally, I find this a dangerous course of action. After all, war is the most horrible of human endeavors, one in which lives and civilizations are destroyed. As such, it should be the last recourse, an unavoidable act in the cause of justice and freedom. Yet few causes are ever truly just. We entered WWI on the side of the British after public sentiment swung against the Germans with the sinking of the Lusitania. Decades later, the evidence emerged that the British had loaded the ship with munitions and lured the Germans into the attack, deliberately and brutally sacrificing innocent lives to gain American public support. Were we even on the right side? The Vietnam War was fought to save face and spread capitalism, and Iraq was invaded twice to maintain dominance over oil. Were these motives worth spilling the blood of tens of thousands? Even WWII had questionable political and economic origins and outcomes, but it was different from the rest. After Pearl Harbor it was a necessary war. And considering the heinous nature of our opponents, it was also as close to a "just" war as we've ever fought.

So it is not surprising that as a child growing up in post-WWII America, I believed, as many still do today, that my country was always in the right and that we always fight for justice and democracy. However, those ideas died for me with the Vietnam War. When summoned to an Army physical and given an A1 draft status, I was confronted with being forced to fight in that unnecessary and unjust war. I decided that in good conscience, I could not go. I burned my draft card as a sign of my resolve and looked seriously into emigrating to Canada. I was determined to stand up for my principles, even when that put me at odds with my government, even when it could have meant leaving my homeland. I cannot describe how it felt to face this decision, one that confronted so many young men of my generation. Some who shared my sentiment chose to acquiesce and serve. Others saw the situation differently, joined the military willingly, and risked their lives for love of country. Each man had to follow the dictates of his own heart. As it turned out, I avoided the draft by sheer luck, and that critical moment and the decision it called for, passed me by. I avoided the tragedy of Vietnam and was able to remain in the land of my birth, but my patriotism was scarred, and for many years thereafter I was not proud to be American. Yet, over time the architects of that war passed into history in disrepute, the wounds slowly healed, and I came once again to see my country as basically good. I came to feel anew a love for her people and for the principles of freedom, justice, and compassion that unite them. Indeed, a reverence for and dedication to those principles are embedded in my identity.

But now we are once again at war. And sadly, during wartime, fear can lead to the suppression of democratic expression and the abandonment of freedom and justice in the name of security. Politicians call criticism of their policies "aiding and abetting the enemy". During WWII, Japanese-Americans faced internment on the basis of their appearance. In the Cold War, Nazi criminals were employed by the CIA against Communists. And of course, recent conflicts gave us the Patriot Act and the indefinite imprisonment of suspects without due process.

So what then do I believe is the proper expression of patriotism in time of war? It isn't blind obedience to the state. And short of another WWII, it's not to kill or be killed. It is instead to stand up for the principles I love and speak out against what I see as destructive to America. I begin by strongly condemning the aforementioned injustices of my government. Defending your nation is meaningless if you abandon everything worth defending in order to do so. I also exercise the right to protest policies I despise by marching as I did against the Vietnam War in Washington some thirty years ago and as I did again last year against the Iraqi invasion both in Palo Alto and in San Francisco. Patriotism in time of war also requires involvement in the political process - supporting candidates and voting, even if it is usually for the lesser of evils. I plan to support those who will put their energy into spreading our principles of freedom and justice rather than into dominating others economically and militarily. A dream perhaps, but if we could elect such leaders, just maybe we wouldn't have so damn many wars to fight. Then fewer heroes would come home in wooden boxes and I would be even prouder to call myself an American.