Reflection #2
To Die For: The Paradox of American Patriotism
To Die For: The Paradox of American Patriotism
I just finished reading O’Leary’s book and it made me wonder if the United States will ever truly be a united nation. I thought her argument was strong, and agree that the symbols of our nation emerged from strongly contested debates, and not through national consensus. We are a nation split by race, class, and gender. New cultural and political issues surface everyday, and it seems nearly impossible for Americans to put their differences aside and to come together as a united nation.
During the period between the Civil War and World War I, we proved that American practices haven't always lived up to American principles. African Americans, Native Americans, and immigrants were all mistreated during this period. There were controversies over the treatment of these minorities, along with deep tensions between the North and South. There are always new groups and organizations fighting for their beliefs and rights. So how can we ever be a united nation with so much conflict? Can patriotism triumph and be enough to stop all of the cultural and political conflicts? I think that a truly united nation is impossible, and that conflicts between different groups are inevitable.
The final thing that I wanted to say is that O’Leary’s argument made me think of the issue about the pledge of allegiance. There has been a lot of controversy over the phrase “under god” being apart of the pledge. But I believe that the pledge should be left alone. It was written a long time ago and is apart of American history. It is one of the symbols of America that O’Leary talked about, and the pledge should remain unchanged. Again, we are a nation that is far from having a national consensus on cultural and political issues. As O’Leary states in her book, we were built not on harmonious consensus but through fiercely contested debates.
Hi Amanda,
ReplyDeleteI was thinking the exact same thing when I was reading O'Leary's book. As a nation we do have many conflicts of interest and are still a very segregated nation despite what is stated in our Constitution. I do not know if patriotism can ever fully supersede individual/group interests because, you are right, there does always seem to be a group/identity that is marginalized and must fight for their rights. I also feel as though the nation and its needs at any given point in time shapes the way we define and feel about race. I'd like to think we have come a long way in terms of how we view race and racial hierarchy, however, I am not blind to the fact that our prejudices as a nation and our tendency to marginalize people is preventing us from moving forward. Lastly, I agree with you that it would be impossible to completely unite our country because there will never be a time when all persons are completely satisfied. To be as optimistic as possible, however, I do believe that we are working toward a new nation and I hope that the change and progress that was promised can finally be realized.