Patriot Games Revisited

In my post on Barack Obama and the issue of patriotism, I received some thoughtful feedback from readers of Campaign Stops that got me thinking a bit more about the issue.

Several commenters noted that Mr. Obama has spoken eloquently throughout his political career about the importance of service, in particular at a commencement address he delivered in May at Wesleyan University. It was a wonderful speech and a beautiful sermon on the importance of service and responsibility to one’s community. Mr. Obama also gave another set of remarks on this issue last week in Colorado. I was less impressed with that one, and I think The Times columnist Frank Rich echoed my thoughts on it. Mr. Obama’s address, Mr. Rich said, “calling for renewed public service is unassailable in principle but inadequate to the daunting size of the serious American crisis at hand. The speech could have been — and has been — delivered by any candidate of either party in any election year since 1960.”

What I found missing from both these addresses was a more explicit connection between patriotism and not only service, but also civic responsibility. It is not enough for Mr.Obama, or any presidential candidate, to simply say what patriotism means to them. They should spell out what patriotic duties they are going to demand of the American people. At a time of war these words are more important than ever.

Moreover, while I liked Mr. Obama’s Wesleyan speech, it was a commencement address: a message of sacrifice and selflessness is standard fare on graduation day. I’d prefer to see him and John McCain give that speech not just to 22-year-olds, but to every American.

Doing this would allow the country to move beyond the notion that patriotism is somehow the dominant province of those who serve in the military. Some commenters took umbrage at this suggestion and thought I was equating community organizing with putting oneself in harm’s way as a soldier. Well, I was and I wasn’t.

Serving in the military is the ultimate form of personal sacrifice to a country, but it’s not the only way to show patriotic devotion. We must recognize that not everyone is physically or mentally equipped to serve in the military. And of course, we must also recognize that, for ethical, moral and religious reasons, many Americans will choose not to join the military.

Those who do not serve in the military can still be patriots and show a love of their country. What I believe Mr. Obama and Mr. McCain need to say is that “there is a patriotic role for you to play” and as president I am going to ask you to fulfill your responsibilities to America.

John McCain demonstrated extraordinary courage as a prisoner of war in Vietnam. Like many Americans, I am humbled by his courage, his sacrifice and the abiding sense of honor that he demonstrated while a prisoner. But I don’t think he is more patriotic than Mr. Obama just because he took up arms to fight in a war. Barack Obama clearly loves his country as much as John McCain does and it is beneath our political discourse to intimate otherwise.

It’s high time that a political figure challenged Americans in the same manner that John F. Kennedy did 50 years ago. While I think Barack Obama has touched on this question, I hope that for the good of the country he (and Mr. McCain) would address it more directly.