A New, Nuanced Patriotism

In some circles, flying the U.S. flag remains as politically incorrect as asserting the superiority of one set of values. Others wave Old Glory as the standard for an American jihad. On Sept. 11, however, a majority of Americans seem to have evaluated their flag’s symbolism and decided to embrace it in all its true complexity. What has emerged is an evolved, centrist patriotism of startling sophistication and vitality.

Consigned to the extreme margins of the national debate, the flag haters and jingoists resort to caricature. On talk radio, a feeble drumbeat suggests that the “God Bless America” signs in car windows somehow echo the Vietnam-era bumper stickers: “America--Love It or Leave It.” Wrong. Polls, dinner conversations and aggressive eavesdropping suggest that while the evolved patriots want greater security, they also know that the freedom to assemble and openly debate policy is precisely what makes America worth defending. When Jerry Falwell spouted fundamentalist blather, patriotic centrists drew apt comparisons with the twisted ideology that inspired the terrorists. When thugs lashed out at people perceived as vaguely “un-American,” church leaders, rank-and-file conservatives and the Republican president gave stern lectures on what that term really means.

Cynics on the left hint that those whose cars fly flags are of the ignorant masses, in dire need of consciousness-raising. These pontificators need to get out more. With nothing to rivet, today’s Rosies turn in frustration to nailing down facts. The evolved patriots are not just buying American flags; they’re also overwhelming Amazon.com with orders for books on Islam, Afghanistan and foreign policy.

These are people who have traveled enough to doubt those who suggest that America is universally hated. When they hear that the United States is evil for supporting repressive regimes, they discuss the Ayatollah Khomeini with their neighbors who immigrated from Iran. They realize that U.S. foreign policy has often been based more on economic self-interest than justice, but they put that knowledge in the context of Sudanese officials amputating the hands of petty thieves and the Taliban’s cruel treatment of women.

The evolved patriots are urban professionals, former peaceniks maybe, who salute the courage of the Delta Force warriors and have no illusions about how much mercy they will show Al Qaeda. They’re construction workers, radios suddenly tuned to NPR, who understand the geopolitical dangers of “unintended consequences” and can argue persuasively that, given the United States’ sometimes unconscionable behavior in the Third World, diplomacy and humanitarian aid are at least as imperative as military force.

Perhaps this increased understanding explains the sort of scene that keeps unfolding nationwide. Last Sunday, for instance, on the dusty Taos Pueblo reservation in New Mexico, a native American in traditional garb clambered up a tall pole as part of an autumn ceremony. Lightning flashed in the surrounding mountains and a crowd of local Indians and tourists watched, transfixed. When this member of what may be the most abused ethnic group on the continent reached the pinnacle, he stood and unfurled an American flag.

It’s not likely this patriot did so because he thought America was perfect. More likely, he had seen the Pentagon in flames, watched the World Trade Center collapse and felt the resurgence of a deep, protective impulse, dormant in this nation since World War II. Suddenly it hit: Democracy and freedom are not just afloat in a sea of equals; they are the ideals to which repressed and downtrodden people worldwide aspire, and when the best hope for ever achieving them is assaulted, nuanced solidarity becomes a rational form of self-defense.