The American people; What is patriotism, part 2

A guy will. Time. For swaying stars and I think that a leadership. And a Colin opportunity presented itself for the American people to become totally Irish. We have the opportunity to become Go leaders of the world. We have the population we have the land we have everything we have the IDL to brush up on. Patriotism is a corny word. It reminds me of Joe McCarthy who reminds me of things I don't like like flag waving. Like America. And you know where that got us in the 30s against people who were super patriots in Europe put America before other countries.

Yes I mean are most conditions. But I can't think of someone if I'm proudest where I'm afraid I'd have to look at America the way European reform looks at America. With all of its faults. Which are principally faults of ego or nationalism. I don't see why one should not be patriotic. I think an intelligent man can be patriotic within reasonable bonded doesn't it doesn't have to be fanatical about it. But if you want to live. Love his own country as he loves his own family whose own home islands to a new sign of intelligence to be to dislike your own country. But you'll find very few people in the Midwest who are willing to get up and say to an assembled group at a cocktail party or a PTA meeting or something like that. That

Senator McCarthy is subversive and now they're willing to say and I'm talking about nine hundred fifty two point fifty three you know nine hundred fifty. And he is subverting the principles on which our country was founded. And he ought to be impeached. I don't know what McCarthy's motives were I question. I question the motives of a man. Who seems to be seeking power but maybe in his own mind he wants patriotic. I'd says I didn't trust the individual I couldn't say. Now more likely I would say I didn't agree with Eisenhower. I didn't agree with him as a president. I felt though that he was definitely a patriotic American. I question some of the candidates that I have seen coming. I look at a man like Nixon and I question whether he. Is a patriot.

I think inside of himself. He feels if he could only get this job he would be he would become a danger here that I think he feels that way. But what I want but at the same time he has a very strong ourselves but I don't see anything wrong with being a secure and a patriot. I don't see any I don't see any conflict. When you when the basic need of the country is at stake and very strongly at stake maybe there will still be self-seekers. I don't think most Americans will be. I think they were a negro for instance. He's had a pretty rough time. He hasn't got everything that the white man is God. There's no question about whether there's been discrimination. But I think even

as bad as he may feel he has a lot is if you ask him what he was he would say was an American. I think you would say that he was. I think he would prove to be a patriot. And this is a generalization of course I'm sure that there are a lot of very bitter people. Most Americans. Who love America. But most of them love it to excess without recognizing its failings. And always be quoting its right when it's what's good for the country and the two things are not. A quibble. Some Americans and I don't know whether a majority or a large plurality but it's certainly not. A mere handful. Certain Americans. Are very vocal about their country and their flag these days. Yes something is happening. We we have become I think a little bit of a shame. Too many people tend to become a little bit ashamed of some special

concern or affection or zeal for their country they seem to feel that to do so is at least indirectly to proclaim that we are better. Invidiously a comparative way than other people or societies. I think picture TISM is something which should not be discouraged. It can be fostered but I think it should be fostered by every day example and through the simple things such as people having the courtesy and the patriotism to stand at attention. The National Anthem is played to show respect when the National Colors passed by. This type of thing there's very little polish me many times at large meetings. There are many people who are hesitant. I think it must be honest if everyone automatically rises when the flag goes by. This type of thing then is patriotism which is fostered. I don't think that you can preach patriotism. You've got to have people live it.

They're too. High of a toady as Americans say that made a great nation Declaration of Independence. The Constitution of the United States let me beg your suggestion if you want to indoctrinate a boy I may help mentally and helpers far

above by some kind of a leaflet are shown way that he can read the Preamble aka the American Constitution. There's the whole thing in a nutshell. The. There are two parts to patriotism. There's the part we've been talking about which is being patriotic to the principles of the government. And then there's this kind of. Love. Of the country or the physical aspects of the country which I suppose you could call patriotism. Also. This is probably one of the most varied and beautiful countries in the world. And. And one of those with the greatest potential to provide people. With a. Comfortable fulfilling enriching life. And in that way to allow.

To allow groups of people. To take over large tracts of forests and cut them down. To allow people to build chemical plants or sewage disposal plants and dump sewage into the rivers. To destroy. The beauty of the country is kind of a physical UN patriotism towards them does mean I love the places where you were born. Now if you love the country I think you will be a good citizen. I think that there is a need on the part of most people to be able to think also on an international level where patriotism limits and individual. Just thinking only in the national context. I feel it's a negative force.

I think that you have to discuss patriotism in context of the time in which you are what you are discussing it. You get involved in a discourse on patriotism the day after Pearl Harbor and you've got a much different situation than you do now. And likewise if you were move the thing backwards in time to World War 1 and prior to World War One when it was isolationism and when slogans like walk softly and carry a big stick and you like Castro papa's little ugly head up in Cuba and you're going to land the Marines without batting an eyelash. He had a completely different context than nowadays with where the world role. That this country is plying you no longer talking so much in context of this country I suppose you are in context of this country's role to the world and how you get involved in a more difficult question if you ask yourself is it unpatriotic to to to feel that. There are some very questionable facets to foreign aid I mean should we be carrying the world on our back. Recently. I had the occasion to watch a television program which dealt with. The rule. Here was an.

Taking into the concept that many heroes are the result of moments of activity and they are not predetermined or predestined by their own plan. Patriotism itself usually occurs through the zeal and feeling of duty and responsibility of an individual. I don't think you can put a degree on it I think it's the moment in the situation and the person at that moment which determine the amount of pictures we all have a feeling for it. I think it's the time November 22nd 1963 being a perfect example of. A wave of patriotism coming across the country. I'm quite sure that most soldiers on the battlefield don't sit down and trace Western civilization from its origins get to the United States conclude they want to defend it and then shoot. Them as a. Still Alive country of course.

No I don't think most people. In this country today. Because. There is too much. To me. But. Then the Kennedy. Thing to me. Your country can do for you what you can do for your country. To be patriotic. That obligation must be. In the forefront of your consciousness. And. Be tried in the newspapers every day. Reported there. Me. I'd like. And in a real pinch. It

doesn't come. From day to day emergencies. The best. As a coach Sam and a fragmentary manner I know he was buried in Troy. And I was on a business trip a customary business trip after over and Scranton Pennsylvania and reading the evening paper that a congressman from Indiana and enter to ship mail at day as suggesting $25000 appropriation Torex a memorial for Uncle Sam and Marian and the.

Allies settled as Congressman Weiner say from salmon berry cemetery in Troy. Well I said it's really good of fair play for a fan and I went up stairs and I took the evening paper in Scranton and sent it to Congress and Parker represented to twenty ninth district of New York State and he would have this appropriations have time to for action on it until I get rich. Salmon and his congressional district and any event that the government contemplate why well and good but please put an end the right place. Here.

And. If you wish to indicate United States property. But from a nearby military camp knowing facts that's why they paraphrase. And later general popularity.

Sam is typical of the American merchant of 1812. The use of color for clothing is a later idea to represent the national character. In his fellow man. And Randi I'm selfish server so as contrail Sam passed away in 1854 at the age of 80. And sleeps. Beside a hedge or fragrant and a peaceful silence so what I try they are now they represent the spirit. I don't I don't think getting it happened Sam I think the jungle Sam of the same old folly

always wives. Only perhaps you celebrate one way of the man but in a different way. Sam Uncle Sam is another symbol. I think I even used the word myself I use it mostly with the government kicking around income tax time. But. To me it is just a just a word it's a word symbol not a very real one. And I. Don't warm to a particularly. I never felt very very positive about the about the symbol in itself this picture of Uncle Sam quite frankly. More disturbed me than anything else. It's sort of like hearing about Santa Claus and being disappointed in this picture. Just this once again has to do with the context of the times I think that Uncle Sam was a poster that appeared. You know a bond raising during the war and was a much more real thing than the now now is something that sits in the post office eventually says once replace you zip code Remember April

15th. Remember me yawn. Uncle Sam is a symbol I think is certainly not as popular. A figure as he once was. I think this is because. Perhaps we feel we've outgrown the need of a specific. Almost cartoon like figure. He went into disrepute when. We became more concerned with the. More serious businesses we had. Posters. Concerning themselves with the more shall we say realistic concepts of war bombing planes and stricken faces for we didn't need this right kind of figure. Uncle Sam is simply a cartoon figure and a cliche. That is very convenient but I don't find it. Either particularly offensive as a symbol or particularly useful is one I guess I think in more abstract

terms about this and today we call the United States of the flag simply because it is more abstract probably doesn't in my mind better than a planet that's a little better thought out to 50 stars 13 stripes. Colors. I remember that my mom used to make me feel that when he used the expression that this was something. That I should respect. I don't quite know what Sam was. But remember that. And he would say that. And he said it which made me know that was something that I should respect. The only stumbling for me is a picture of him.

And his finger pointed at me. I want you for the U.S. Army. That's the only thing I can think of outside of that doesn't really have any except my childhood when Uncle Sam was always with the striped pants and red white and he was also Martin. But he was not a great to me except for that one instance. When he never left me. As I walk down the street. I only remember Uncle Sam on the billboards pointing a finger at me. He never meant anything to me it never meant I should march off to war I was much too young. But I always liked it it was a symbol it was a nice mother so to speak. I would love to come back. I always being a real nice. Kind of. Santa Claus type man I don't know why. Again I was too young to appreciate Uncle Sam what he stood for. Uncle Sam and Santa

Claus were sort of the same person. It's a great symbol. It's like the American flag brings to mind all kinds of nice emotions about one's country. I'm greatly in favor of bringing back. I used to think kindly. With the beer and striped trousers. And he. Was pretty great.

Pretty country. Area. Picture country. That doesn't bother me. The Russian. Castro looking like a shark.

Right. To educate children and. Children so that the future generation. Under God. Will realize the rare privilege it is to be an American. How in the world are our children going to grow up in an atmosphere that it is important to know and to believe and to live with that you are an American and to explain to our children what it means to be an American. They

understand the meaning of Uncle Sam the kind of person he was. What he did in life. He in totality represents the beginning the emergence the hope. And the totality. Of. Our country to come. He. Figure is objectionable. It's a cartoon figure in the very belligerent. Very usually it's used in a sort of. I think this is true of any country that has some sort of national. Cartoon. You know. This feature of the very.

With. With overtones of. The guardian angel. The rest of this section of the terms of him I'm sure is very objectionable to Latin America and. Rightly so. I think at this time we need something a little more confining than the symbol of Uncle Sam I think we need something which is more symbolic of a concept. Like Mr. Clean you know going to seduce the women you know to do anything. This record all the. Time he's been in existence he's been a pretty good one. Michael Sam isn't perfect but he's a going institution. He's a likeable fellow and he's

pretty a generous humanitarian and progressive but he comes up with some pretty good creative ideas and I think he'll be around for a while. I think it's also. Something I think to. To have around. I think it's a good guidepost so we all would. Rather alike. I for him all the way. The American people. A series of documentary studies produced by Riverside radio w the FM station of the Riverside Church in the city of New York

affiliates of the national educational radio network. Local broadcast by outstanding radio stations and for bowed to the Voice of America and by the radio networks of other nation. Tonight you've heard Project 1. Whatever happened to Uncle Sam. A study in American patriotism. For providing certain of a special interview is used in preparing this program. Riverside radio technologist. Thanks. The cooperation of radio station KUSA University of South Dakota a million Am C Albany Medical College Albany New York. A University of Wisconsin Madison W. K. R. Michigan State University East Lansing L. L. the University of Illinois urban WUOM University of Michigan and Auburn and Cape San Diego State College California. The American people stresses candor and the expression of conviction.

Clarity and the expectation of insight and the need for action in the hope of advancement. Your individual comments and suggestions are invited. Listener inquiries should be addressed to WRVO New York 27 New York next month on the American people project to the good old days. A study in the style to. Reporting for the American people. Jack do some of the old and Walter Nicks. This is the national educational radio network.