Sunday Forum

Letters to the editor of the Editorial Page

PATRIOTISM OF ALL STRIPES

Long may it wave

Regarding your Nov. 16 article "Winds of patriotism renewed": Ronnie Chapman was born in 1960; thus, when he reached age 18 he was of voting age. This means he has had 30 years of the privilege of voting for the candidate(s) of his choice. My question is, has he fulfilled his duty as guaranteed to him under the Constitution? Did he vote in 2000 and again in 2004 for those he felt should lead the way?

If so, he needs to stop and remember the many places in the world today that such freedom does not exist.

My husband served in WWII, along with his two brothers and sister (a Navy nurse); a brother and nephews served in Korea; a son-in-law served in Vietnam (talk about an unpopular war!). All served proudly under that star-spangled banner, willing to give all for their country.

I, for one, proudly fly my flag as a symbol of the enduring freedom that I enjoy, especially as I go to the polls and vote my choice.

We may disagree when we vote, but we should never disagree in our love for our country and our flag. May they endure for another 232 years.

Charlotte R. Carrere, Garner

A country returned

Like Ronnie Chapman, featured in your Nov. 16 article, my patriotism got a boost from the election. Letter writers Nov. 18 described this renewal as fickleness. I would remind them that mindless patriotism has been the source of enormous evil in human history. And our country has done plenty over the last six years of which we should be ashamed.

At the top of the list is starting an illegal and immoral war justified on lies that has killed 600,000 civilians and damaged the lives of thousands of brave Americans and their families. And holding people without charge for years in Cuba. And until recently, dragging down the world's efforts to deal with global warming. That President Bush and his administration are finally leaving office is indeed worth celebrating and has renewed my faith in our country.

Mark Twain said that "Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it." Maybe what the other readers should remember is that people likeChapman and me loved our country all along. But the behavior of our government over the past six years has robbed us of much of the joy of and pride in being an American. Forgive us if we celebrate as that joy returns. I do indeed feel like I've gotten my country back.

Michael Foster, Chapel Hill

It's all in your perspective

As soon as I saw the Nov. 16 headline "Winds of patriotism renewed," I knew to expect letters deriding Ronnie Chapman and the other folk cited who recently began flying their American flags again.

While I am grateful to be a native-born citizen of this great country, as an African-American, perhaps I have a different perspective. For example, I think of my uncle, home in South Carolina from a tour of duty in the Korean conflict and wearing his uniform, who was not allowed to buy a fountain drink for his teenaged sister (my mother) at a white-owned drugstore.

One of the letter writers stated that "those who have fought for our country fought for us all." True, but sadly, too many fought and died for a country that denied them full rights and respect as citizens.

Maybe folks need to consider what constitutes "pride in our country" and "true patriotism" from another perspective. Perhaps then they wouldn't be so quick to judge those of us who have yet to experience, but who still anxiously await, the full embrace of our country.

L.S. Dyer, Raleigh