It is telling to me that conservatives and the far right equate the National Anthem and the flag

[Turn CO Blue]

with honoring the fallen in wars or with respecting military service instead of with the Constitution or with "we, the people". I love the anthem when I think about all the ideals and beauty of the Constitution. I hate the song when I think how it's been claimed by the right.

Every holiday, every parade, every event (including sports) is somehow being subsumed into the rightwinger gods of "freedumb", jingoism, weapons and pageantry -- and the glorification of wartime. They've somehow claimed the anthem as their own, just like they claimed the word "patriot". How unfortunate.

These same people claim to love rugged individualism when it comes to gun collecting and not paying taxes or grazing fees, but otherwise many openly long for some America that is utterly homogeneous: white, Christian, flag-waving, and conformist. Everybody in their proper places (like perhaps pregnant cooking in the kitchen or in the field picking cotton?) Not too artsy, not too uppity or educated, and with all aspects of "ethnic" being narrowly confined to that one aisle in the grocery store.

I guess my biggest hobby/vice is watching Netflix (and reading DU several times a day.) My favorite genre is just about any period piece and many of the historical shows on television, many of which are set in wartime Europe. I recently went out to see Dunkirk, an excellent and tension-fraught historical war film. I'm moved by such retellings -- deeply moved by so much sacrifice of the depths which are hardly even imaginable to me. So, I do want to honor those who served especially in wartime and against terrible odds (such as in WWII and the ongoing endless doings in Iraq and Afghanistan) but I can't help but feel that with half of our government is devoted to spycraft (17 agencies and counting involved in intelligence gathering in one form or other), warcraft, weapons sales and "peacekeeping" bases, and often the State Department operating a bit more like a military arm some days (on weapons selling days, for sure) than a diplomatic mission -- that I've had enough of war and MORE than enough of armchair warriors glorifying the flag and the National Anthem. I mean, I've reached the limit of a lifetime. No more.

There is a question that has been rolling around in my head for 20 years that comes up from time to time. Where the hell is our Department of Peace?

Anyway, back to the anthem. To state it clearly again for our conservative friends who have gotten the WHY of "taking a knee" all wrong -- Colin and others are NOT protesting war or war heroes or military service, or the flag or the damned song and they don't hate their country and they're not disrespectful -- they're protesting systemic and widespread racism, aggression, overreach, and the downright unfairness and brutality of our law enforcement and in our courts at times with regard to people of color.

Patriots do things like these protests. The sacrifice they make is continuing on in the midst of a torrent of flack and pushback.

And I'm with them. We can all sit or kneel for the song for awhile until we come to a time where the police and Justice Department "get it" and take measures.

The ideals we strive for in the Constitution are the very bedrock of "we, the people" and are far more powerful than the song or the cloth in that flag.

- - - - -
TCB in Denver

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

1. The defining characteristics of fascism.

1. Powerful and Continuing Nationalism - Fascist regimes tend to make constant use of patriotic mottos, slogans, symbols, songs, and other paraphernalia. Flags are seen everywhere, as are flag symbols on clothing and in public displays.

2. Disdain for the Recognition of Human Rights - Because of fear of enemies and the need for security, the people in fascist regimes are persuaded that human rights can be ignored in certain cases because of "need." The people tend to look the other way or even approve of torture, summary executions, assassinations, long incarcerations of prisoners, etc.

3. Identification of Enemies/Scapegoats as a Unifying Cause - The people are rallied into a unifying patriotic frenzy over the need to eliminate a perceived common threat or foe: racial , ethnic or religious minorities; liberals; communists; socialists, terrorists, etc.

4. Supremacy of the Military - Even when there are widespread
domestic problems, the military is given a disproportionate amount of government funding, and the domestic agenda is neglected. Soldiers and military service are glamorized.

More at the link.

http://www.rense.com/general37/char.htm

[kimbutgar]

5. I used to like Rense.com. before it was brought out by a right leaning organizationRussia money.

It was anti bush, then became anti Obama now pro twitler. Hmmmm I wonder why?

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

8. I simply googled

defining characteristics of Fascism and that site was the first one that popped up. I know zero about it.

At least they still have the Fascism thing up.

[chaking53]

2. it's possible that colin kaepernick could become more important to our country than rosa parks!

[uponit7771]

3. These are the same people who love the confederate flag

[marybourg]

4. They do and say whatever serves their purpose.

tRump is the polar opposite of everything they ever said they stood for, but he's serving their purpose right now, so they are rabidly supporting him. They have no ethics or guiding principles except for love of money and resentment of anyone not like them.

[VOX]

9. Precisely! With #45, the GOP has forever devalued their usual go-to "cards"...

You know, the cards they've historically played at the drop of a hat:
-Higher morality
-"Godliness"
-Fiscal responsibility
-Family values
-Less powerful executive branch
-No federal government intrusion

Oh, they'll go there again when it suits them (as you point out), but now the cat's out of the bag. Not that Red State voters will mind that much.

[madamesilverspurs]

6. Jingoism.

Been thinking about that, about how it demands ritualization of things that should never become habit; about how its forced repetitions can change profundity into meaninglessness.

At least once a day some meme shows up implying that evil liberals are trying to keep the Pledge of Allegiance out of schools, typically by someone who goes ballistic when it's noted that the original, written by a socialist, did not contain the words "under God."

And now we are being treated to memes asserting that those who kneel during the National Anthem are worthy of condemnation, even though there is no law governing when, where, or how often it's played, nor how those in attendance are to behave toward it. There is no law requiring either the pledge or the anthem before every public gathering; yet heaven help any poor misguided citizen who attempts to open a board meeting or a discussion panel or a freaking tournament of any kind without one or the other.

Any six-year-old can recite the Pledge while having no comprehension of its meaning. Those who sing the anthem often strain with the notes while mouthing words that can be recited while mentally compiling a shopping list, such is the nature of habit.

Obligatory repetition is neither citizenship nor patriotism. The exercise of our constitutional rights IS.

[Turn CO Blue]

7. Points beautifully made.

I had to chuckle thinking that maybe the song "Tradition!" from Fiddler on the Roof would be a more fitting National Anthem for the views of the right.

If you ever go to the "drinking liberally" meet-up in Denver, let me know, I'll buy a round.