I live in Boston. The bombings last week were approximately 2.5 miles from my house. I experienced the shock, fear, and uncertainty that has rocked this city over the past several days. However, the amount of unchecked patriotic rhetoric that has been carelessly thrown around since the terrible bombings have left me feeling frustrated, angry, and alienated.
I am so grateful for the outpouring of support in this city and throughout the nation for the victims of Monday's attack and for all of us whose sense of security has been shaken. I am grateful for the emergency responders and even for sports teams who have acted in solidarity to show their support during this difficult time. However, I do NOT feel comfortable with the rise in feel-good patriotic rhetoric circulating.
When I tried to express my concern and discomfort at work today (where news coverage touting American ideals contrasted with traumatic scenes and descriptions of the attack played constantly) a colleague of mine argued that Patriotism isn't problematic because it makes people feel good and "American values are objectively positive." She disagreed with my discomfort (how do you disagree with someone's discomfort?!?) and I felt more frustrated and alone than ever. By not buying into the patriotic rhetoric uncritically, this sweet but naive young woman deemed me, though I am sure unintentionally, a "bad" American.
This morning at the "interfaith" service in Boston President Obama said: “I’m here today on behalf of the American people with a simple message: Every one of us has been touched by this attack on your beloved city. Every one of us stands with you" (Boston Globe). Who, pray tell are these American people of whom you speak? Can we pause for a moment and acknowledge the fact that the terrorists very well could have been American? Who do you really mean when you say the "American people?" (note: We now know that the key suspects in this case are of Russian origin, but we have plenty of examples of home-grown terrorists. Think Newtown or Oklahoma City.)
While it's incredibly important to support each other during trying times, why can't we support each other as human beings rather than as nationalists? Patriotic propaganda may feel good and help some people to feel supported and a part of something larger than themselves. I get it. But can we please think about the dangerous repercussions of this rhetoric? If Americans are brave and strong and righteous, does that mean that anyone who is not American fails to possess these traits? What about immigrants? What about people of color? Are we "real" Americans?
Rhetoric that sets up an "us vs. them" dichotomy oversimplifies the issues at hand and lead to dangerous situations, both in discourse and at times physical violence. As as person of color and a first generation American, this patriotic rhetoric frightens me. It perpetuates notions of American supremacy and encourages fear and mistrust of the "Other."
Sadly, the effects are already visible. To my young colleague, and so many others who embrace nationalist discourse without stopping to think about the implications, I find myself struggling to explain the basics of nationalism in this emotionally charged time. I began attempting to explain, but then realized that she probably has never thought about what the nation IS. Not everyone has had the luxury of sitting down with peers to discuss the work of Benedict Anderson and to ponder the social construction of nations. But an understanding of postcolonial theory shouldn't be necessary to understand that inclusion in the nation is only possible at the expense of excluding "Others," right?
Maybe it is asking too much of people to think critical during such an emotionally charged time, though I think that during emotionally charged times it is especially important not to get swept up in patriotic messages at the expense of others. Because while some people feel comforted and included, the rest of us are feeling more alienated than ever.
