As Malaysia celebrates her 47th National Day, there's been a lot of talk about true patriotism. How is it shown? What makes one a patriot?
As you know, I'm not a Malaysian Citizen. However, both my wife and my daughter are Malaysian Citizens. I am at times extremely disappointed in this country. At other times, I'm overwhelmed and love it like my own.
Regardless of your feelings. Here's a great article by Marina Mahathir (daughter of our ex prime minister).
Take pride in your country - by MARINA MAHATHIR
As we get to the end of August, the signs are out again. Let’s fly a flag and be patriotic. Let’s drape our cars and balconies with the red, white, blue and yellow and feel good about ourselves.
But have we ever wondered what patriotism really means? Is it just about flying the flag? Or is it more than that?
Patriotism is more than just about flying or draping your car with the Jalur Gemilang. It is a love for a country with all its joys and faults.
As much as we dislike to admit it, the people most patriotic to their own country are Americans. They all seem to know the words to their national anthem, they all fervently celebrate the Fourth of July and Thanksgiving and they are very quick to declare their country the greatest. It may stick in the throats of the rest of us but one thing is for sure, Americans know how to be patriotic.
The funny thing about it is that they can be patriotic even when they can’t stand their government. They may despise their President and his policies but they still are loyal to the idea of their country and their Constitution. Support for the government and patriotism to the country are two different things. Of course, sometimes it is hard to keep the two separate. If you don’t like what your government is doing, it’s hard to feel proud of your country and your mind can turn to leaving. But the deeply felt emotional attachment to your own land can still remain, and that is probably the essence of patriotism.
Patriotism is defined as pride in or devotion to the country you were born in or are a citizen of. It is a love for a country with all its joys and faults. When you grow up in a country, some sort of patterning must occur within your mind that renders you to be attached to it, even when you leave it. That’s why people who may be forced to leave their countries for whatever reason always long to return. It doesn’t even have to be the country they are citizens of, as long as they’ve formed some emotional attachment to it. Sometimes people like these are the strongest defenders of that country.
A feeling like that cannot be imposed, especially not by governments. You can make people learn patriotic songs, isolate them for a while and lecture them all day about why they should be patriotic. But in the end, you really don’t know if it will work or not. A young person I know returned from her National Service stint having had a pretty decent time of it. But did it make her feel more patriotic? No, she said, if anything it made her more rebellious, more keen to find ways round the system. (I actually think that is an unintended but positive outcome of National Service to produce young people who can think for themselves.)
If people don’t get the chance to reflect for themselves what they like or don’t like about their country, but instead are told what they should feel about it, the chances are patriotism is going to be a missing element. Not all can love their country unconditionally, especially if sometimes their country doesn’t love them unconditionally either. If anyone feels that he’s not getting a fair shake at things like most people, then he’ll be hard put to feel much devotion. Put a flag in his hand and he may wave it, but his heart won’t sing when he does it.
What sort of country instils patriotism in its people? One that treats each and every citizen with respect, no matter how different they may be. One that doesn’t let anyone be left behind because of social and financial standing, gender, race, religion or ability. One that listens to its people and takes heed of what it hears, even when it’s not pleasant.
Patriotism should not be limited to people who always say or do the right things, as defined by a narrow set of ideas. People who disagree with the powers-that-be should not be branded unpatriotic, because they may have different ideas about what would make the country better. Patriotic people are free people, never those who are shackled by fear of expressing themselves honestly. It was after all that great longing to be free that made our foreparents speak out honestly against the injustice of not having a say in the running of their own land. Thus, they created that greatest act of patriotism, independence.
This Aug 31, I may not put flags on my car as I have done before. Instead I will continue to fly my flag of independence in my heart, in a world that is less free every day, and that would be my own personal patriotic act.
