Response to USA Today Editorial
I read Kathleen Parker’s 9/30/2001 editorial ‘God, country gain fragile new toehold’ and I was both insulted and terrified. You see I’m one of those atheists she thinks don’t exist anymore. Let me rephrase that, I’m one of the 25 million atheists she thinks don’t exist anymore. We are still here and we aren’t going away. I’m sorry if out compassion, concern and sorrow we let somethings slip by without challenging them.
We shouldn’t have let that happen.
Let me be quite clear. Now is the most import time to be vigilant. People like Ms. Parker and Jerry Falwell will try and use this national tragedy to sell their own unconstitutional social programs. If we let that happen that is just one of the victories the terrorists can chalk up for themselves. If protecting ourselves and our culture from terrorists is what is important we can not now quietly forget all the voices that make up America’s internal dialog.
She speaks about the values that prompted people to buy flags as if that answers the question of “what values might those be?” but it does not because when I look at a flag it represents freedom. Chiefly among those freedoms is the freedom of religion and the separation of church and state. To Ms. Parker she looks at that flag and sees God. She has failed to answer the question about American values, she has diverted us from it by pointing at one symbol after another.
Our children will be patriots when they can be proud of America’s actions. They will know America’s greatness when they have no doubts that they live in a free society. Forcing children to follow symbols stifles true patriotism that comes from pride in your country. It stifles patriotism because it stifles freedom.