Patriotism: Part 2

September 11 was a horrific day, a tragic day, and everybody knows that. Nothing can condone that kind of attack on the American people, or any people for that matter. It was brutal and savage, and brought upon a tidal wave of American vengeance on the Middle East. Over ten years later, we not only continue to morn the great losses of that day, we continue our campaign of hatred and violence in the Middle East. We were so horrified, grieved, furious and filled with so-called American pride that we sought to make everyone else pay. We did not want to stop with punishing a few people who may have been responsible for the crime; we wanted to punish everyone, especially if they wore headdresses or had a Muslim name. There have been instances here in America where one person killed another simply because they "looked" Muslim. I think patriotism in American changed that day. For a long time, patriotism did mean pride in your country, loving your country, whatever you think your country is. However, after that day patriotism became a much more heinous term. It now goes beyond loving your country, it is hating others. Beyond being proud of your country, it is thinking ill of others. Beyond wanting to protect the freedom of the individuals in your country, it is taking away the freedom of the individuals of others. I have heard over and over again the supremacy, the arrogance, and the ignorance spewing out of the mouths of Americans still filled with hatred because of that day, still looking for revenge,  still preaching about America. It's the greatest nation on Earth, they say. So, our citizens and their lives must take priority over everyone else in the world. I think it is more than understandable to be angry, and to be pained, over the loss of loved ones, and to want the ones behind the attacks to be punished, but the men that flew those planes are already dead. I do not think that it means that we need to kill hundreds of thousands of Middle Eastern people to avenge the lives of the few thousand American people, especially when so many of those people are soldiers or civilians who had nothing to do with those attacks. Their lives will not bring back the lives we lost that day. I've heard that if you don't support the war(s) then you are un-American, un-patriotic. Well I support justice, not war. If that makes me un-patriotic, then so be it. I will not condone the killing of civilians on either side. I don't believe in it.