This!…This Second Class Citizenry Right Here…We Are Third to None
The Wisdom Of America’s Mock Patriotism Has Forsaken Me
When President Donald Trump says ‘our country’…, ‘our flag’…, or ‘our people’…
I am thoroughly confused.
You can be very proud of all of your people, all of our people working together,” he said. “Sixteen versus literally thousands of people. You can be very proud.”
President Trump’s statements made to Puerto Ricans after surveying the ravaged island and its displaced populace implies that there are two different kinds of people with their respective but asymmetrical rights in this instance. One alienable — as in ‘your people’, versus inalienable — ‘our people’. Whether the president is actually referring to government or mainland Americans as our people is a moot point, the message rather would seem consistently deliberate, and not a faux pas. But just to be clear, given the context that follows that remark it clearly is in reference to mainland Americans.
Mind you there is nothing remarkably cunning about any of the president’s remarks via twitter or given in speeches to date. It never adheres to logic.
On October 19, during a rally in Anderson, North Carolina, the republican nominee and an incumbent President Trump made more perplexing statements which forewarned that there is something to the concept of there being a stratification of Americans — with the alleged top layer being annoyingly fed up with what’s happened to their country under President Obama’s administration.
You know, the president is thinking about signing an executive order where he wants to take your guns away. You hear this one? This is the new. Not gonna happen. That won’t happen. But that’s a tough one, I think that’s a tough one for him to do when you actually have the Second Amendment. That’s tough. Because there’s plenty of executive orders being signed, you know that. And we can’t let that go on. So it’ll all stop … It’ll stop very soon, I think, because people are tired of what’s going on, and they’re tired of what’s happening to our country.
Apparently Trump was hearing voices, terrible voices in his head and in his ear, but it was never reported in the press nor evident coming from the Obama Administration.
The insinuation of this distinction or stratification of American citizenry was further exemplified with President Trump’s tirade towards NFL players.
“If a player wants the privilege of making millions of dollars in the NFL or other leagues, he or she should not be allowed to disrespect our Great American Flag (or Country) and should stand for the National Anthem. If not, YOU’RE FIRED. Find something else to do!”
My Country, Tis of Thee?!
By the way this is not just your flag, your country, nor your choice. This is our flag, our country, our choice. Good, bad or indifferent. We all have an equal stake and responsibility in seeing this country thrive, and in making it a model of democracy that we can stand indivisible for as pledged in the allegiance.
However the president’s remarks here suggests that there is some degree of alienability being observed by him and his supporters. It is being inferred that certain citizenry be secondary. Quite conspicuously the rights of these second class citizens are being infringed upon when they are being denounced for expressing First Amendment rights to peaceably assemble and petition their government for grievances of inequality and social injustice.
The proclamations that punishment should vociferously be extended to even those who have been made privileged socioeconomically, suggests that second class citizenry has been validated by a majoritarian agenda regardless of wealth and status attained.
For you to realize this one must be able to reflect and introspect on what is meant by this America First ideology. Until now, when was America’s interests secondary to, or put aside for, or even replaced by the interests of a foreign country? Be specific and honest to yourself when answering that.
In the previous administration there has been a marked yet mischaracterized effort in pursuit of American interests, by exploring the commonalities found in the interests of other countries that achieved multilateral cooperation and support for mutual benefit.
Allow me to reiterate once more, there is absolutely nothing remarkably cunning about any of President Trump’s remarks via twitter or given in speeches to date.
Patriotism takes on new meaning and form in these instances. Obedient genuflecting towards the President no matter how obnoxiously callous or un-American his statements creates a despotic atmosphere of mostly despair and disillusionment.
The quoted statements below by Carl Schurz, who had called out mock patriotism in his Civil War days would seem apropos as advisement to today’s brand of patriotism. And although my faith in America’s wisdom — as a means to an end — has waned since the election of Donald Trump, I hope that it becomes food for thought to readers.
I confidently trust that the American people will prove themselves … too wise not to detect the false pride or the dangerous ambitions or the selfish schemes which so often hide themselves under that deceptive cry of mock patriotism: “Our country, right or wrong!” They will not fail to recognize that our dignity, our free institutions and the peace and welfare of this and coming generations of Americans will be secure only as we cling to the watchword of true patriotism: “Our country — when right to be kept right; when wrong to be put right.” — Carl Schurz
