Great Music Monday: Dixie Chicks National Anthem
Great Music Monday...
The Dixie Chicks sing the National Anthem
Patriotism is a word that has always felt slightly alienating to me. Growing up, the Patriots were a sports team at the middle school, and the word evoked the mental image of drums beating and screaming sports fans packed into Friday night stadiums, and parents and school administrators who extended a universe of special priviledges to kids who walked around like arrogant assholes most of the time. It had nothing to do with me and my bookish, geeky life.
When I got a little older, notions of patriotism coincided with the mainstream emergence of extremist militia groups beginning to make themselves known in places like Montana, Colorado and Tennessee. Patriotism, if prevalent enough to be called into identity politics, equalled radical zealotry and violence in the name of country.
After 9/11, patriotism took on a whole new frightening meaning. With one sentence, with one damning declaration, President Bush ushered us all into a new America where thoughtful political discourse is treasonous and questioning the actions of our administration is met with a love it, leave it or face vicious death threats from total strangers response.
"If you're not with us, you're with the terrorists."
In other words, if our vengeance isn't your agenda, let vengeance rain down on you as well. And rain it has. Patriotism has come to stand for a campaign of dominance, violence, oppression, torture and bullying militarism. The hate filled, devisive rhetoric of the new American patriots has done violence to us, our countrymen, our nationalism and our meat and potatoes.
This isn't my America, that isn't my flag, these aren't my countrymen and that is not my patriotism.
And so it is that I come to today's music selection. Somewhere between the hate mongering right wing "patriotic" garbage and the first real thoughts of becoming an ex-patriot, two years ago this song came across my headphones, and I fell in love -
-in love with the simple beauty of a songwriter's tribute to the land of the free and the home of the brave.
On this the five year anniversary of 9/11, I present a little bit of American pride.
Bush's America isn't my America, and I won't let my America be stolen from me.
Dear readers, the National Anthem.
¶ 10:33 PM
Monday, September 11, 2006
(slightly late)Great Music Monday...
The Dixie Chicks sing the National Anthem
Patriotism is a word that has always felt slightly alienating to me. Growing up, the Patriots were a sports team at the middle school, and the word evoked the mental image of drums beating and screaming sports fans packed into Friday night stadiums, and parents and school administrators who extended a universe of special priviledges to kids who walked around like arrogant assholes most of the time. It had nothing to do with me and my bookish, geeky life.
When I got a little older, notions of patriotism coincided with the mainstream emergence of extremist militia groups beginning to make themselves known in places like Montana, Colorado and Tennessee. Patriotism, if prevalent enough to be called into identity politics, equalled radical zealotry and violence in the name of country.
After 9/11, patriotism took on a whole new frightening meaning. With one sentence, with one damning declaration, President Bush ushered us all into a new America where thoughtful political discourse is treasonous and questioning the actions of our administration is met with a love it, leave it or face vicious death threats from total strangers response.
"If you're not with us, you're with the terrorists."
In other words, if our vengeance isn't your agenda, let vengeance rain down on you as well. And rain it has. Patriotism has come to stand for a campaign of dominance, violence, oppression, torture and bullying militarism. The hate filled, devisive rhetoric of the new American patriots has done violence to us, our countrymen, our nationalism and our meat and potatoes.
This isn't my America, that isn't my flag, these aren't my countrymen and that is not my patriotism.
And so it is that I come to today's music selection. Somewhere between the hate mongering right wing "patriotic" garbage and the first real thoughts of becoming an ex-patriot, two years ago this song came across my headphones, and I fell in love -
-in love with the simple beauty of a songwriter's tribute to the land of the free and the home of the brave.
On this the five year anniversary of 9/11, I present a little bit of American pride.
Bush's America isn't my America, and I won't let my America be stolen from me.
Dear readers, the National Anthem.
¶ 10:33 PM
