Ich bin ein Bostonian

personal diatribe | 10/21/04 | DRMac

[DRMac]

Dateline: The Couch and the Big Screen

Subtitle: For you fans of urban legends and/or JFK trivia, the title does not imply I am a famous cream pie.

In 1986, I spent the summer as a legacy counselor in a beautiful wooded camp for the children of rich New York Long Islanders on Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire. The legacy part is following in my sister's path when she served as the camp Nurse a few years before. It was an amazing experience both in seeing a magnificant part of the country to which I had not previously been exposed, to growing tremendously in leadership and compassion for children. That was also the year I visited one of my personal "meccas", Fenway Park. I stood in awe as I entered the stadium having fought the worst and most confusing traffic congestion I had ever experienced, and just stared at the venerated "green monster" in left field. It was before that time, but in that moment, that I truly felt the kinship from my Chicago Cubs roots and it's cousin-in-pain the Boston Red Sox.

Now for the Chicago south-siders among you, yes I will admit the White Sox have always been number three in my heart. The Cubs will always be first, but the spirit and committment of the Boston fans is overwhelming in any season, not just when they make a miracle comback like they did tonight in Yankee Stadium. I proudly sported my Boston hat, which I still have, and enjoyed a wonderful warm summer evening in the bleachers at Fenway. That year, 1986, was the last year the red Sox went to the world series... before tonight. The series starts Saturday and in remembering that the last time the Red Sox won a world series was 1918, I was defenseless to the political parallels as well.

President Woodrow Wilson delivered a speech to Congress on January 8, 1918 outlining 14 points ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourteen_Points ) for reconstructing a new Europe following WWI. Some were specific and some were general, including freedom of the seas, abolishing secret treaties, disarmament, and the right of national sovereignty. It promoted the idea of a League of Nations, which eventually lead to the formation of the United Nations. Historians would conclude that only 8 of the 14 points were formally adopted, but it was a bold vision for a nation across an ocean, and was clearly formative to the role of America in Europe after the war.

It was also the year that the United Staes Congress passed the Sedition Act. It said, in part:

"Whoever, when the United States is at war, shall willfully make or convey false reports or false statements with intent to interfere with the operation or success of the military or naval forces of the United States, or to promote the success of its enemies, or shall willfully make or convey false reports or false statements... and whoever when the United States is at war, shall willfully cause or attempt to cause, or incite or attempt to incite, insubordination, disloyalty, mutiny, or refusal of duty, in the military or naval forces of the United States, or shall willfully obstruct or attempt to obstruct the recruiting or enlistment services of the United States, and whoever, when the United States is at war, shall willfully utter, print, write or publish any disloyal, profane, scurrilous, or abusive language about the form of government of the United States or the Constitution of the United States, or the military or naval forces of the United States, or the flag of the United States, or the uniform of the Army or Navy of the United States into contempt, scorn, contumely, or disrepute, or shall willfully utter, print, write, or publish any language intended to incite, provoke, or encourage resistance to the United States, or to promote the cause of its enemies, ... with intent by such curtailment to cripple or hinder the United States in the prosecution of war, and whoever shall willfully advocate, teach, defend, or suggest the doing of any of the acts or things in this section enumerated, and whoever shall by word or act support or favor the cause of any country with which the United States is at war or by word or act oppose the cause of the United States therein, shall be punished by a fine of not more than $10,000 or the imprisonment for not more than twenty years, or both: Provided, That any employee or official of the United States Government who commits any disloyal act or utters any unpatriotic or disloyal language, or who, in an abusive and violent manner criticizes the Army or Navy or the flag of the United States shall be at once dismissed from the service..."

Wow. That is a nation of loyalty, but it represents a notion that as gotten muddled in this year's political discourse. That represents a firm nation that is resolute and will tolerate nothing other than unified success. That was the America of 1918, that was the America that had the cahunas to go into Europe in WWI and in WWII with no option but victory. That is the spirit that made this nation. In today's discourse, a doctrine like that would result in an ACLU lawsuit. The notion that American can be the world leaders and the defenders of peace, freedom, and democracy around the world, the very notion that military force can be a force for progress and good, is not a new idea. But it is an American ideal that has become lost and muddled in the political rhetoric of today.

I have said in previous diatribes that this nation was anything but in agreement in previous wars. They has always been a conflcit within the nation on going to war. But there has never been an official American position of anything but strength. We couldn't waiver then and we cannot waiver now.

Internationalism circa 1918 is important. There should be a league of nations. There should be the rights of America to make independent decisions regarding war. There should be no tolerance for any official position that is Anti-American or that would be easily perceived as non-supportive of our troops.

It is 2004, and Boston is going back for their first World Series Victory since 1918. It am willing to have faith in Boston and I welcome a spirited debate over over the series. We all cheer for our team and we defend that team against all attacks verbal and otherwise. Even if we discuss the merits of a manager's decision, we still defend our team fiercly.

Bostonians have been doing it since 1918. Nothing less is acceptable to a Boston Fan and nothing less should be acceptable to America.