I'm Not A McCain Supporter, But He's Better Than His Party And Its Delegates Deserve

My grandfather fought in the South Pacific during World War II. Growing up, he didn't talk about it often, though when I grew older he did share with me occasional stories from the war, many horrific in nature. He never glorified these stories, and made sure that I wouldn't, either. When I was about eighteen years of age, he gave me his navy uniform (I still have it, of course), and a few years ago he showed me some pictures from his time at war, and discussed the circumstances behind those pictures, some of which were humorous, many of which were not. He still discusses such stories with me occasionally. I'm very lucky to be able to say that he's still alive.

One of the things that my grandfather--who became a successful electrician and, later, a successful businessman after the war--made sure I understood is that strong people do not project their strength in loud, bellicose, simplistically sloganeering manners, because such projection is indicative of both ignorance and insularity, and it is embarrassing and, ultimately, counterproductive. Instead, he told me (as he sometimes still tells me) that strong people display their intelligence through hard work and hard study, as well as careful thought. Strong people convince others of their ability and willingness to listen and digest what others have to say, which in turn convinces others to listen to them in similar ways. We need not always agree, of course, but only in that way does real understanding and progress occur.

Similarly, he says, strong countries do not shove their flags down other people's throats and scream their call letters ("U.S.A.!, U.S.A.! U.S.A.!") at the top of their lungs for all the world to see. Instead, they prove their worth through matching intelligent words to intelligent deeds, and accept humbly other people's respect. That's real strength, because it stems from strength of character first, and all other types of strengths afterwards. That's the type of respect to which people tend to respond in positive manners.

My grandfather is a Republican, though, as you might have guessed, of a very independent mindset.

I say all of this because, watching Senator John McCain's speech tonight at the Republican National Convention, I found that I admired the candidate but loathed what I view as his alarmingly jingoistic, rather stupid convention audience. Oh, I'm not going to vote for Mr. McCain (I disagree with him on a few too many issues--and I admire Senator Obama's foresight and judgment--too much to do that), but I admire him nonetheless. Sorry, fellow Democrats, I can't help it.

The crowd listening to him at the Xcel Energy Center, on the other hand....

Having sat down at my computer, I meant to write about Senator McCain's speech--which was broadly effective, if filled with more than a few instances of misleading hyperbole regarding Senator Obama's positions on various critical issues, foreign and domestic--but in the wake of this evening's events I find my mind recirculating back to the innumerable amount of times the crowd broke into bellowed shouts of "U.S.A.! U.S.A.!," most of which were delivered at the top of their lungs.

I don't mean to be a party-pooper (after all, I fly the stars-and-stripes on the Fourth of July, too), and I'm sure some folks will refer to me as a "left-wing, cool-aid-drinking, pinko moonbat" for saying this, but this almost obsessive-compulsive loop-tape of "U.S.A., U.S.A.!" chants strikes me as ignorantly jingoistic, junior high-level nonsense masquerading as feel-good love of country. That it was viewed simultaneously all over the world intensifies my worry, because these chanting people, who were doubtless fully aware of the international coverage of the event, often decided to forego enthusiastic cheers that would show people all around the world the healthy patriotic enthusiasm their candidate of choice can inspire, and instead decided to shove their insularity down people's throats in a bragging fashion. No one likes a braggart, folks, except other braggarts.

I did not serve my country in a military capacity like people such as my father, grandfather, and Mr. McCain did, and I therefore do not claim to have fulfilled such a dangerous and honorable method of service. But I'd like to think that I did serve my country at least somewhat by being the only American to teach in the two particular British schools I worked in when I lived in England. In doing so, I found that hard work, an ability and willingness to listen and adapt so that others might listen and adapt to me, and a willingness to learn as others learned from me won both me and, more importantly, my country more than a few initially cynical but ultimately grateful fans--students, teachers, and parents alike. I surely made my fair share of rather dumb mistakes, but in general I found that displaying a resolved yet humble, open-minded, creative mindset encouraged others to think of folks from United States as something other than arrogant and insular.

Tonight, however, I saw healthy cheering morphing into consistent chants of "U.S.A.!, U.S.A.!," complete with robotic fist-pumps, from the crowd gathered at the Republican National Convention. In the wake of this I find myself thinking that a lot of what I and many, many others have done in many countries in order to display in proactive manners why the United States is a fine and intelligent place was largely swallowed up in one fell swoop by people for whom such considerations apparently don't matter because, well, we're apparently "the gosh-darned best" and some of us evidently feel as though we need to tell it to everyone in a...loud, bellicose, simplistically sloganeering manner.

This is not my grandfather's Republican party, and, watching Senator McCain's face tighten during a few of the more outlandish "U.S.A.!" moments, I got the sense that it's not his ideal conception of the Republican party, either. Say what you will about my shortcomings, or about Senator Obama's perceived "academic aloofness," or about "wimpy" Democrats and/or "mushy" Independents in general, but at least the Democrats didn't break into aggressive and divisive shouts of "U.S.A., U.S.A.!" while their nominee spoke at their convention, and I know very few independent voters who would do that, either.

That might be because they don't seem to require constant shouted reminders of who they are and what they stand for, and they don't feel as though the best ways to show to themselves and the world what makes America great are to be found in such obsessive chants. And, lest the "U.S.A.!" screamers might suggest otherwise, let's get one thing clear: every American I know--Democrat, Republican, or Independent--thinks America is great. The only difference is that some people are a little more discerning than others about how such greatness should be displayed.

Oh, I know what I'm saying is "unpatriotic nonsense" to many people. I've heard that accusation before, but that particular bucket has sprung more than a few leaks of late--it's holding less and less water these days.