Thoughts on Patriotism: Dulce et decorum...

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On my walk home from work there is a little war memorial - I walk by it often.  There is a cenotaph and a mural. 

I've stopped more than a few times to consider the images on the wall.  It has large image of some soldiers walking together from a destroyed town.  The soldiers look like average young men; they're certainly not the typical action heroes... just average guys.  There is another image of soldiers leaving naval vessels and walking waist deep in the water onto the desolate land, which spreads out in the background with war planes flying overhead.  I stare at these images and struggle to imagine the reality that they represent... but I can't.

The cenotaph has a large cross and a statue of a WWI soldier kneeling at the feet of it.  The cenotaph has plaques all around the sides.  Each plaque has a name with a date and a place on it.  These are names of men who died at war.  Some died in the field of battle; some died on ships crossing the sea.  None of them made it home to their families.

There is another plaque on this cenotaph which reads, "DULCE ET DECORUM EST PRO PATRIA MORI".  Since I enjoy all things Latin, I came over to read this.  It means, 'It is sweet and glorious to die for the fatherland'.

I struggle at times like Remembrance Day.  Let me be clear: I'm not a patriot.  The sight of the maple leaf does not stir my heart.  I don't bother to sing "O Canada" at sports games.  I hear the rhetoric of nationhood and it rings hollow in my ear.  Do I love Canada? No.  It seems to me that patriotism is most often invoked merely for manipulation.  Politicians tell us how wonderful our nation is to make us feel good about ourselves and about whatever it is that they do in the function of their office.

Am I jaded?  Cynical?  I don't think so.  I have yet to hear a well-reasoned or convincing argument for patriotism.  I see it being pulled out to motivate the masses when it is convenient for those in power to invoke it.  I see it selling soft drinks, beer, cars, and flags.  I don't often see patriotism doing something positive.

On Remembrance Day I take time (two minutes usually) to honour those who answered the call for patriots to defend the life that we enjoy.  I may not be a patriot.  I may not believe that there is something intrinsically good about being Canadian and living in Canada.  I may not buy the rhetoric of patriotism; but let me tell you, I am thankful for the life I enjoy.  I am thankful for the peace and stability that we find here in Canada.  I am thankful for those who fought and died for these things.

Is it 'sweet and glorious to die for the fatherland'?  I don't think so.  But it is a great and noble thing to give one's life for the safety and stability of so many people.  For that sacrifice on my behalf, I thank God indeed.

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