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Pavlov's Dogs of War
Religion and patriotism are often the thin and rancid fuel used to kindle fires of prejudice in a myriad of forms. One could be forgiven for having a jaundiced attitude about patriotism or religion after the multitude of times those ideals and emotions have been manipulated to direct the populace to follow certain actions or channels of thought.
Are we such cattle that when the icons of country or God are thrown out, we must blindly believe and follow – and perpetuate this maneuver by giving the speakers the knee-jerk reaction for which they hoped?
The blankets of patriotism and religion are furled over much less noble actions so that they may appear to have grander designs than the underlying base reality. What this has achieved in actuality is the demeaning of true faith and of the heartfelt love of one’s country. That should be the crime.
Regina Calton Burchett
April 21, 2003
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