The Gamut

Right wingers are all in a tizzy, over this statement Natalie Maines of the Dixie Chicks recently gave to a reporter for the London Telegraph.

The entire country may disagree with me, but I don't understand the necessity for patriotism. Why do you have to be a patriot? About what? This land is our land? Why? You can like where you live and like your life, but as for loving the whole country... I don't see why people care about patriotism.

She's right. Patriotism, and "school spirit" and and any other variety of "civic pride" are basically just coerced loyalty. Personally, I found it very hard to be proud of a country where more than 60% of the population approved of a pre-emptive invasion on a country that had not attacked us simply because some of the population of that country took their "civic pride" to extremes.

Now, however, as more and more Americans wake up to the reality and are "ashamed that the president is from Texas." I have something to be proud of this country for once again.

I'm proud that that Dixie Chick is an American. She lives the American ideals of free thinking and free expression. So, unlike those who "value" patriotism over all, but who would silence dissent, Natalie Maines may not feel the "need" for patriotism, but she is a patriot.