Am I a coward?
Am I less of a man for doing what I've done?
Am I guilty of treason, desertion, and anti-patriotism?
Me. I am a 20 year-old male. I'm six feet two, and I weigh in at a whopping one-ninety five. Currently I am munching on organic chocolate chips, sitting in my girlfriends room, trying to figure things out. So, I write. I am going to write. I will work this out.
I came to Canada with approximately thirty-five dollars in my pocket, a half-empty tank of gas, and a trunk full of clothes. I was arrested at the border, intimidated by police officers telling me to return home, and jailed for two days. I knew no one in Canada, and had never even been outside of the United States. I was running from prosecution, as well as persecution. I didn't even fully understand why I was doing what I was doing. I just knew that it was right, and that I had to stand against whatever it was I was fighting. Now, looking back, I fully comprehend exactly what my enemy is. It is evil. It is everything that causes hate in this world. It is patriotism.
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines patriotism quite simply as love for or devotion to one's country.
So, is patriotism a bad thing? Well, seeing that it is the cause of millions unnecessary deaths throughout the course of human history, I would say yes. Think about it. Without patriotism, would war exist? Would nations exist?
So, my next question is this: Is it possible to live in a world without patriotism? I think not. Without patriotism, nations would not exist, nor would tribes, nor would any sort of society. The world would be one of chaos.
So, in conclusion, am I to be considered just a Utopian-minded dreamer, or is there really a chance in my "whimsical" thinking?
Maybe. Just maybe.
