Patriotism

Jul 6, 2005

This past weekend’s camping excursion in Southern Ohio was a helpful reminder of the diversity of people in America (and no, there were no people of color in the campground, to my knowledge). Our goat cheese and apple-chicken brats, Toyota Siena and world music on NPR were quite different than the rusty pickups, aluminum beercans and Guns-n-Roses at the other campsites. Fireworks late into the night kept us all aware of the nation’s birthday.

In the car on our way north, we listened to Pete Seeger talking about his musical history, and my thought was, “Here’s a living American saint” responsible for songs that bring us together.

Earlier, I’d read George Packer’s New Yorker essay (“The Home Front,” July 4, 2005 issue, not online; read a Q&A) on finding meaning in the Iraq War, and thought, “We’re all culpable, in one way or another.”

Anton Zuiker ☄