Patriotism

With the exception of national tragedies and the Olympics, the Fourth of July is the day we generally celebrate patriotism. It seems patriotism has changed. Not for the better or even for the worse, but it is different.

When Patrick Henry said, "Give me liberty or give me death", you got the sense that something great was about to happen. And it did. A couple hundred years late, John Kennedy said something like, "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country." Again, the listener got the sense that something great was about to happen. And it did.

In the age of terrorism, patriots must not only love their country, but the world as well. An attack in London or Cairo or New York City is an attack against freedom and sovereignty -- virtues that earlier patriots were willing to die for. The patriot understands that the world's business is our business.

Of course there is only one freedom and sovereignty that matters ultimately, and it is of another sort altogether.

Two runs today! I love Thursdays. The first was with Christy, Machelle, Melissa, Robert, Paul, Gary, and Maureen. We did 12.5 miles. The evening run for the church group was a little on the warm side, but Kurt, Angee, Charissa, and I made it around the lake for another 7.41 miles. I should have run another couple hundred yards and I would have had 20 miles for the day.