The Black Republican

For the rest of the day, half of every minute was spent forcing myself not to lash out into a blinding rage. I got a headache, which I blamed on my eyeglasses (which I only realized afterward were only partially to blame). I tried not to think about it, and failed miserably.

The tap came from the water bottle of one of the two gentlemen sitting behind me. They wanted me to sit down so they could see the Continenal US-shaped US flag being brought out and the other activities going on on the field. I was confused, because there really wasn't anything to see yet, and all they had to do was stand up like everyone else was doing.

I got another tap, and one of them said, "I can't see."

"Stand up, then," I said. "They are just about to unfurl Our Flag."

The men had no intention of standing up. "Not my flag," the man with the bottle said. I still didn't understand why, but I knew what was happening.

(PHOTO UPDATE INSERTED: Rick captured the moment digitally:)

Then I noticed that the American flag had already been brought out onto the field by the Coast Guard color guard. "You aren't going to get me to sit down," I said calmly. "The American flag is on the field." I turned around and tried not to think about it. The fact that I fumbled the words to the National Anthem said I was failing. The game started. They never stood up.

Then I heard the men behind me talking. These gentlemen were apparently Jamaican nationals, judging by their accents. "They just don't know you're supposed to stand for the National Anthem," I tried to tell myself - but it was a lie.

"They're just ignorant of the fact that you always stand out of respect for the raising of a flag, even if you're not from that country," I tried to tell myself - but it was a lie.

"They hate America," I admitted.

"But you have no proof of that," my conscience replied. "You're just being an Ugly American, a xenophobe, a bigot."

"Then why do they come to my country, (presumably) work here, buy tickets to this game, drink soda and bottled water produced here, and eat food grown and raised here, but they won't even get up off their ignorant asses to respect My Flag?"

My conscience had no answer to that, and finally shut up. He's only right half the time anyway.

Americans aren't "Ugly". "Ugly" is disrespecting the people around you. "Ugly" is badmouthing the country that forged the Industrial Revolution, freed millions of people from tyrrany and oppression, and that feeds the world today and develops and distributes medicines to cure everything from AIDS to yellow fever. "Ugly" is hypocritically saying you hate America and everything American, while eating our food, watching our movies and sports, buying our products and enjoying the benefits of the free market we champion. "Ugly" is spitting on the graves of the men who died for you, even when you won't admit you'd be enslaved without them.

"Ugly" is the absence of America in the world today.

"Ugly" is what happened on September 11, 2001. "Ugly" is forgetting what happened on September 11, 2001. "Ugly" is what some people forced us to do to them because they themselves are "Ugly".

"Ugly" is what America will become if we don't suck it up, ignore the hypocrites, and just go right on being American.

If we honor our values and stand true to our ideals, what you see between these shores is "America the Beautiful." May freedom reign.

NOTE: This post is backdated to the moment of the 3rd anniversary of the Pentagon attack. Occasionally, amid the horrific images and catastrophic loss of life in New York, people forget about the loss of our loved ones at the Pentagon and in Shanksville.

Never forget.