Last night Katy and I went to some friends' lake house for barbecue and fireworks. All around the little lake there were explosions and aerial starbursts as each of the neighbors attempted to outdo the others. Driving home along Dyes Inlet, we saw fireworks lighting the sky for miles and miles along the Kitsap peninsula.
It was as if everyone wanted to put on a display of great joy and fervor. Fireworks are high-energy bursts of color and noise...what better way is there to show excitement?
I've been reading about patriotism the last few days. One commentator suggests that conservatives view patriotism looking back at the past. They have a reverence for what our country has accomplished, and they understand patriotism as a matter of honoring our heroes. Liberals, on the other hand, tend to look to the future. They're critical of our country's past mistakes, and they consider it our patriotic duty to maintain our country's high ideals for the future.
Ronald Reagan, with his serene belief in American goodness, exemplifies the conservative side, while John F. Kennedy, with his stirring speeches about what we could do for the future, exemplifies the liberal side.
As a good Anglican, I say it's both: we honor those who have given of themselves to make our country what it is today, but we also remind ourselves of our high ideals for the future. I love my country both for what it's been and for what it can become.
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