Double Standards of the American Public

Part 1: Patriotism

 

? 2004 David Polakoff

 

I often wonder how the public would react to a baseball team called the Dixies. You know, to balance out the Yankees. I think a team called the Birmingham Dixies would create a ton of uproar.

 

I can see it now: protests outside the stadium, news articles and op-ed pieces calling for the team to be renamed and calling for the head of the guy that named it in the first place. People would claim it was unpatriotic, treasonous, disgusting even. CNN would have a 6 minute piece on it, showing the stadium named Jefferson Davis Park and the uniforms, a gray jersey with "DIXIES" emblasoned on it in an old-style writing, a gray hat with the Bars and Stars flag of the Confederacy. CBS's 60 minutes would have an interview with the guy who named the team saying, "I was only trying to balance out the Yankees and capture the essence of our region's past at the same time."

 

Yet this is the same American public that writes books about how bad the President is, can afford to spend time and money watching a movie full of lies that plays on Americans' emotions, and uses award ceremonies, or any other time they have a microphone in their hand, to bash the President and any decision he makes.

 

Now, don't get me wrong, I would never ADVOCATE the use of the name Dixies, or a Confederate flag logo on a sports team. I laugh every team I see a Confederate flag sticker on a car or motorcycle. Mostly I laugh because it's usually a 50-year-old guy with long hair and a long mustache wearing a tank top, but I also laugh because somewhere along the line the Confederate flag stopped being offensive and came to mean, simply, "Rebel."

 

But the point here is that people would get so up in arms about this whole thing. Actually, I could see Whoopi Goldberg campaigning against it, saying how unpatriotic it is. Somehow, a Confederate flag is more unpatriotic than verbally assaulting the President and drawing parallels between the administration and genatalia so the whole world can hear. Very funny, Whoopi, Bush = vagina, Dick = penis. I never thought of it THAT way.

 

If you're not going to be patriotic, go for the gold. Sit during the Star Spangled Banner, bash the President, buy Confederate flag products, publically assault the leaders of the country.

 

But don't go one way and then another. Don't be an advocate of patriotism on one subject and then turn around and bash the President.

 

"I respect the office, not the man in it," isn't a good excuse. If you respected the office, part of that is respecting the guy chosen to do the job and his decisions. You don't have to like it, but at least respect it. And vote him out in November, if you want to.

 

 

http://www.livejournal.com/community/i_am_right/

i think he's right on....

 

people will misconstrue that column to say "don't say anything bad about the president, or you're unpatriotic"...

 

i took it as "if you disagree with the president, you can still disagree in a respectful manner".

 

Whoopi does not. Moore does not. Respect is an ancient value that still applies today. Apparently some think it doesn't apply to them...they demand respect, but are not willing to give it.

 

Respect isn't just praising someone for all the good they've done. That's easy. Respect is honoring someone and their position even when you don't agree with what they're doing. I've respected coaches I've played for before, even though I didn't agree with their playcalling, lineup, etc. And the President is a whole helluva lot more important than a high school football coach.

Sean Hannity just teared up.

 

BS, I'm glad you think that I have to hate america if I want to Bash Bush because something tells me you were right there against Clinton. That's unamerican!

 

You can't say that your against a president and a patriot, it's impossible. Everyone that votes against the president is an unamerican pig because he's going against the president.

 

What a sick-o, having the right to question a leader. What is this a democracy? Come on, we need Stalinist Russia! Disappear if you question the president.

 

That article is BS

Like Furman said...misconstrued.

Don't be an advocate of patriotism on one subject and then turn around and bash the President.

 

What's to be misconstrued about that? I can't support patriotism if I Bash The President. Tell me what you're saying if that's not it.

 

Once again I ask you, I assume you're not an advocate of patriotism if you ever bashed or questioned Clinton and I assume you did.

I never said anything about questioning the President.

 

You don't have to like it, but at least respect it.

 

I didn't like a lot of things Clinton did. I never wrote a book about how much he sucked or made a movie about his many lies and faults and things he did wrong. But you know what? He was the President, and therefore I respected it, because he did something right to get himself there. There's nothing wrong with disagreeing with the President or any political figure, but the point is, if you disagree do it tastefully.

Curious that nobody on the left bashes the Dixie Chicks as being culturally insensitive for giving their group that name... :blink:

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Probably because few on the left listen to them, I have never heard one of their songs.

What is the point of that article. Talk about patriotism, the confederate flag or Hollywood??? First he started dreaming about a baseball team wearing the confederate flag, then he talked about how Whoopie Goldberg is disrespectful to the President and finished saying that it is unpatriotic to talk about the President. What is his point with all the confederate flag team? One had nothing to do with the other?

 

Anyway, I am unpatriotic, because I hate Bush's guts? Please, as if this President actually gave a f*** about what regular Americans think... Just remember, while your brother is serving in Iraq, eating s*** and being blown up in pieces, Mr. Bush is seating in his ass in the White House air conditioned oval office, playing President.

touche!

 

the fact remains, it's not illegal to bash the President...but it would be nice if people had the decency to keep from blatantly bashing him. It's alright for people to take a stand against what he's doing, and to support Kerry, Nader, Peroutka, Dean, whoever. But, have the courtesy to be classy at least.

touche!

 

the fact remains, it's not illegal to bash the President...but it would be nice if people had the decency to keep from blatantly bashing him. It's alright for people to take a stand against what he's doing, and to support Kerry, Nader, Peroutka, Dean, whoever. But, have the courtesy to be classy at least.

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I agree with you on that. However, when one is a comedian who makes a living out of making jokes like that, I don't think it should be taken like an insult. Ask Bill, they are still doing off-color jokes about him, I never saw anyone from his administration creating such a turmoil out of a stupid joke.

not to get off-topic too much, but Whoopi Goldberg is NOT funny. And seriously, I hear 5th graders making Dick and Bush jokes (pertaining to the anatomy). It's lime, played out, and did I say lame?

looks funny: yes.

 

those stupid sunglasses...what's with it? It sucks. Whoopi you suck.

I hate southern pride.

 

That is all.

i'd say most yanks do!

Northerners are way too absorbed with PC and need to MYOB.

indubitably

I am a Floridian.

Here is my flag.

 

 

What is yours?

mine would be the Florida Flag.....but I like to consider the South Carolina flag mine as well...since I live there 5/6 of the year

and of course the American Flag, since i do happen to live in America...

 

and the Confederate flag has a special spot in my heart

My Other Flag

and there's an indian but no white people, hispanics, or blacks!

i was actually just joking....here's my flag:

i was actually just joking....here's my flag:

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Furman if you think you are being funny you are not.

i know....it isnt even a flag...just a website banner :banghead

 

next time I'll find an actual flag...

 

no, but seriously...that site was f***ed up! lol, they started calling Sons of Confederate Veterans racist......FOR CALLING THE KKK BIGOTS! lol....i find that hilarious....

what are you doing reading white supremacist websites, furman?

 

i've never been to one of those.