Flashbackin': Proud to Be An American on Super Bowl Sunday

Published the 8th of February, 2008, in Chimes:

This past Sunday, before a Bud Light ad about breathing fire, Jordin Sparks’s rendition of the national anthem and a football game that did not become wholly engaging until the final 15 minutes, there aired a different kind of kickoff for Super Bowl XLII.

At the very beginning of the four-hour pre-game show, a reading of the Declaration of Independence was broadcast. The Declaration was read by men dressed as Jefferson, Franklin and other signers of the document, then NFL football players past and present. It also featured a proclamation by players that they are Americans, calling to mind the “I am Calvin College” video aired during freshman orientation. (It was not the first time such a reading has occurred pre-Super Bowl; actually, it was the third. The last recitation was shown before the game three years ago.)

Newspapers across the nation published editorial responses to these pre-show elements the day after the game, placing emphasis on the reading. This consisted mostly of sardonic commentary. The Baltimore Sun asked, “Do we really need a reading of the Declaration of Independence?”

But rather than asking about the necessity of this pre-show portion, we should be wondering what the producer’s intent was in airing it. It is worth noting that other news sources and blogs were pleased with the reading. In sum, they counted it as a simple, yet powerful tribute to what our country is, a proclamation of patriotism.

And therein lies the rub: is this sincere patriotism, and is today’s patriotism in tune with the spirit that encompassed the Declaration upon its first draft? Further, is reading the Declaration before a football game equivalent to internalizing its principles?

Patriotism had, and has, many facets. Granted, in 1776, it looked different from its current state. But some values remain, no matter how loosely enforced those values may be: the importance of political knowledge and taking the opportunity to vote and voice one’s opinion in public forums and elections.

Equally important to patriotism is honesty. Patriots hold fast to what they believe and are free to disagree with the government — that is, they devote themselves to their cause, have the ability to support their opinion and are prepared to defend it, whether it is in accordance with the government’s rule or not.

Even with those core values in place, the meaning of patriotism has shifted and the word is garnering new definitions. By current dictionary definition, a patriot is one who is devoted to his or her own country, a person (claiming to be) ready to support or defend his or her country’s freedom or rights. In turn, being patriotic is synonymous with devotion to the well-being or interests of one country (Oxford English Dictionary). But it can be difficult to find these elements in their current contexts.

Patriotism is proclaimed on protest signs of anti-war advocates reading “Peace is patriotic.”

Patriotism shows itself as a fad when affixed to back bumpers and front windows of minivans with magnetic ribbons and window clings of American flags.

Patriotism is retooled by campaigning politicians, not necessarily in word so much as in concept; American heroism, freedom and even a word as simple as “change” are given new meaning, definitions that the public has trouble understanding.

Taking these deviations into account, it is hard to say how many actual patriots are left, let alone whether or not that crowd of actors and football players can honestly say they are patriotic and proud. In a modern sense, they appear to be patriotic. They recite the Declaration with strong conviction, emphasizing the same words a presidential hopeful might. But how comforting is it to hear those words again from another person’s mouth, a person who is, by all accounts, entirely disconnected from the political scene? Doesn’t it sound more hollow than heartening? It would be unfair to judge the athletes on this, what can only be called an advertisement for patriotism, alone. But if patriotism is going to be marketed, shouldn’t it come with an encouraging push toward true patriotism and all it involves — political participation, education and voiced opinions?

My sincere hope is that, with or without a clear definition, it means more to all of us than watching football players and poor actors reciting our nation’s Declaration in glorious HD.