A Lesson in Patriotism

Republican State Senator McIlhinny (R10) got up this morning, wet his forefinger and held it up to his political winds. “Oh Oh! I need to get on the right (no pun intended) side of this kneeling during the Anthem business!” So Republican State Senator McIlhinny got right to work, made a few calls (none to progressives, activists, constitutional lawyers, or Democrats) and found that the Pennsylvania Republican Party Faithful would be against the football players and citizens taking a knee during the National Anthem. Not really surprising.

Mr. McIlhinny, and Republican politicians in general, are constantly seeking ways to distract the public from terrible realities. What if people get serious about demanding that there should be a rational budget and that the budget should be funded? Who really understands Standard and Poor ratings anyway? Working people don’t care about higher unemployment and poverty figures in the state. What if the people find out that the pension deficit was caused by the State legislators in a middle of the night grab for perks for themselves? What if other oil producing states do have an extraction tax? Why should PA Republicans be responsible for passing any kind of tax increase, even if the state is desperate and the oil companies aren’t?

So who could blame Mr. McIlhinny, the Republicans, and the most expensive state legislature in America, for spending weeks developing and passing the most restrictive anti-choice law in the country? Who could blame them for taking all the time needed to further the wishes of the National Rifle Association? Gun owners vote, and teachers should learn to make shooting part of their classroom training. And of course time and treasure must be devoted to giving Education Secretary DeVos all she wants. Don’t most people want to give their school tax money away to charter and voucher schools?

According to Sen. McIlhinny it is high time that people realize that “protests” of any kind are messy, obtrusive, and unpatriotic. People have to understand that pointing a finger at those kneeling and locking arms at a football game is especially patriotic because (…shshshsh..) just look at those black men trying to grab attention. We need to teach “them” a lesson, one they apparently did not learn while dying in Afghanistan, Iraq, Viet Nam and Korea. “In Vietnam, in 1965 alone, African Americans represented almost one-fourth of the Army's killed in action". ( Tucker, ed, Encyclopedia of the Vietnam War: A Political, Social, and Military History, 1998)

So the Senator introduced a Resolution to the Pennsylvania Senate (Patch, 9-26-2017)that would make standing during the National Anthem a requirement. Wow. Of course he is totally sincere. Of course he would not try to distract people or use expensive official legislative time to try to win particular votes, like those of Trump supporters who think it is good politics to take away the free speech of anybody who looks or thinks differently than they do. (If women are plotting another march in Pennsylvania they had better watch out. Marching protests will be on the Republican docket.)

All this may be hard work to accomplish, but the R’s are determined. Now that they have elected Trump, they must be loyal. That is the rule.

Ann Melby Shenkle

Doylestown, PA