Weird to say, but I feel more patriotic as a lover of baseball, the history of it, the Yankees, the Negro Leagues, Jackie Robinson, Marvin Miller, and my dad who continues to guide me through all that, than I am for this idea of lining up and shutting up behind the flag https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🇺🇸" title="Flag of United States" aria-label="Emoji: Flag of United States"> https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🇺🇸" title="Flag of United States" aria-label="Emoji: Flag of United States"> https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🇺🇸" title="Flag of United States" aria-label="Emoji: Flag of United States">

I always feel uncomfortable on highly militarized holidays. My grandfather flew B-17s in the european theater in WWII. But he also blew his head off on Halloween night 1977, age 54, before I ever knew him, so forgive me if I don’t think blind salute to war is pinnacle patriotism.

One of the most precious gifts toward understanding the world my parents gave me is borne out of my mother’s father’s suicide, and my father’s father’s civil activism. Hard to explain in a tweet but patriotism to me is about holding ourselves to a higher standard, always.

Tough shit but that’s what it’s about. If your idea of patriotism ever gets easy then you’re doing it wrong. I feel like I’m writing a speech for middle-schoolers right now. This is basic shit. But so many people think patriotism is about shaking your dick at people.

My father is a retired methodist minister, so I guess I lean toward a certain set of principles, even though I stopped going to church at 16. What I never walked away from was the idea that we all deserve to be seen equally in the eyes of God. Seems pretty fuckin basic.

Also pretty basically related to this is the realization that America was and is founded upon the idea of white supremacy. If you’re white and that makes you uncomfortable then you need to think about it harder.

I’m rambling now.
I’m not wrong, but I’m rambling.

Anyone who feels similarly weird on these highly militaristic holidays, feel free to comment

The worst part is that it takes a bit of bravery to admit this, when it really shouldn’t? I’m talking about a higher patriotism than saluting the flag while their living brothers hate us for our false piety. Maybe we should listen to them? My grandfather was surely one of them.

And when I talk about the fact that America is founded upon white supremacy, it’s still about Memorial Day https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🙂" title="Slightly smiling face" aria-label="Emoji: Slightly smiling face">. If we’re worth a shit it’s because M Day is about the white and black soldiers who died in the Civil War to make this soil honorable for everyone, not just white ppl.