March 23, 2003

KATU Perverts Patriotism

Prior to leaving for its most recent commercial break, KATU's Sunday morning news anchor said the following:

While the focus this week has been on protests, one town in Oregon just wants to show its patriotism.

Now I expect this sort of crap from commentators and idiot pundits. But those behind the supposedly-objective anchor desk are not charged with the task of celebrating one form of speech as patriotic, and implying that another form of speech is disloyal.

As I said before, many protestors are on the streets because "the entire disaster makes them feel existentialy ill, and both ashamed of and afraid for their country" -- but to feel that shame or fear, one must first have a sense of ownership of one's own country.

Many of the antiwar protestors would forcefully argue with any impugning of their patriotism. Look at the increase in the use of American flags at protests. Consider the chant, "Support our troops! Bring them home!" This isn't about one group of people who care about our country and one group that doesn't.

Those waving flags along the roadside chanting "USA! USA!" with the same emotional tenor they usually reserve for the Olympics are not somehow more noble, or more American, than those who have taken to the streets of Portland for three days straight to protest the war.

Or, more simply for the simpleton anchor of KATU News: This is my country too, and I don't cede control of it over to the likes of you.

Posted at 08:37 AM | PermalinkComments (0) | TrackBacks (2)
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