by Mario Hernandez
Daily Lobo columnist
We have all heard the saying that the only sure things in this life are death and taxes.
However, in my opinion, one thing is equally certain - the government's distraction of the populous with affairs of the unimportant.
The U.S. Senate was recently engaged in a heated debate over the trivial issue of flag burning. This political issue was important enough to occupy the time of our government officials, even though more than 12 percent of this country lives below the poverty line; millions of children are missing out on an education; millions live without proper health care and thousands are being killed in genocides throughout the globe.
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While people in this country and throughout the world were suffering and dying from hunger, illiteracy and illness, our legislators chose to focus on flag burning. Where, may I ask, are this country's priorities? The answer is simple - all of this commotion stems from one word, and that word is patriotism. This word has clouded our vision and shrunk our hearts. We are so focused on being patriotic that we have forgotten the true meaning of the word.
The dictionary defines patriotism as the love of country and willingness to sacrifice for it. Too often, we use ideas and words like this to justify our actions and ease our consciences. How much sacrifice do you see by the average person who claims to be patriotic?
Many of my friends claim to love this country, but when it comes to raising taxes to help the needy or sacrificing time to help our nation, they turn their backs. Being patriotic is more than putting a ribbon on your chest, a bumper sticker on your car or supporting a president. It is sacrificing something for people who are less fortunate. It is caring for someone in this world besides the people you know.
What is more patriotic than caring about the lives of every single person who lives here and wanting to use our power to help those in need? We can pass by a person who is in extreme danger without questioning our dedication to this country, yet when we burn a flag in protest we are called unpatriotic. We shirk our responsibility to educate children and use the money for the military, and that is called patriotic. We cut taxes for the rich yet let thousands starve, and that is called patriotic. We spend more and more money on luxury items, yet let millions live without proper health care, and that is called patriotic. Our politicians let corporations push policy that is bad for everyone except themselves, yet they are called patriotic.
Unfortunately, the U.S. is becoming one of the least patriotic countries in the world. We have national pride, but when it comes to sacrifice, we are a nation of selfish people. We choose not to help out our own people, or anyone else for that matter. It's ironic that people who are trying to stop war, cure disease, help the poor and educate the masses are called hippies, then are told to get out of this country because they are unpatriotic.
The United States, as the world's only superpower, has a tremendous opportunity to be an example to the rest of the world. Unfortunately, we have gone in the completely opposite direction - we spend more money thinking of ways to hurt people than to help them. We spend more money on bombs than on books. We spend more money destroying countries rather than building and educating them. We choose to ignore the hungry and oppressed and show the rest of the world the selfishness that comes from having a big wallet and a little heart instead.
As the famous French philosopher Voltaire once wrote, "Every man is guilty of all the good he didn't do."
