A TRUE PATRIOT — by Steve Nadis
Once again, we’re offering an occasional feature: “Call Me Snake Goes to the Movies.” Today’s movie is “Bound for Glory” about Woody Guthrie. I saw the movie when it came out in 1976 and liked it even better when I saw it for the second time this week. David Carradine was superb in the title roll, and at the end of the movie I had nothing but respect and admiration for Guthrie, who traveled the country by foot and rail, bringing his music directly to the people. Guthrie wrote more than 1,000 songs and is, in my opinion, a true patriot.
When I shared that observation with my wife, she balked at the term, saying he was someone who really loved America but not a “patriot,” which in her view sounded too jingoistic. I know what she means but I refuse to hand over the term patriot to all those right-wing nut jobs who have usurped it. As Guthrie put it, “this land is your land, this land is my land.” That goes for everybody, not just the deluded extremists who consider themselves the only patriots in town. On the contrary, I don’t think bigoted, intolerant people are patriots at all.
Posted by
at
14:47:40
"Man is the only Patriot. He sets himself apart in his own country, under his own flag, and sneers at the other nations, and keeps multitudinous uniformed assassins on hand at heavy expense to grab slices of other people’s countries, and keep them from grabbing slices of his. And in the intervals between campaigns he washes the blood of his hands and works for "the universal brotherhood of man"- with his mouth."
- The Lowest Animal by Mark Twain
Whenever you are in doubt, return to the works of a master.
That’s a great quote. Had he been around this century, Twain clearly could have been the greatest blogger that ever lived, though we’d all hope he found more productive ways of spending his time.
On the one hand, I agree that we shouldn’t let the right co-opt the term, but on the other hand, the term has such a stink on it by now that I don’t want to go near it.
Just remember: they hate us because we love freedom.
My wife, who shall remain nameless, agrees with you. But I’ve changed my view on the term, ever since the New England Patriots started winning.