Author’s Note: Originally I had a picture in this post of what appeared to be Governor Palin in a star-spangled bikini holding a scoped rifle. I have since learned it was a photo-shopped picture of another woman with Governor Palin’s face superimposed. Since the photo was a fake, I have removed it. The post that reveals and compares the photoshop pic with the original can be found here.

I offer my sincere apologies to Governor Palin for not taking a more skeptical eye towards the photo and distributing an incorrect image of her.

Original Post follows:

The blogosphere and mainstream media is awash in a instant soup of rumor, speculation, and facts about Governor Sarah Palin that are currently being distilled for accuracy, relevance, and importance.  During my research, I came across this picture on author James Howard Kunstler’s blog. Thanks to him, I am now comfortable that we will not have another national round of insipid discussions about whether the latest vice-presidential candidate should be wearing a flag pin as a display of patriotism.

Patriotism isn’t about colored ribbons or bumper stickers on your car. It isn’t about waving a flag or chanting “U-S-A” at a sporting event. It certainly is not about wearing an American flag pin on your lapel. These are all pleasing symbolic displays of patriotism, but they are not patriotism in and of itself.

Feeling patriotic is not the same as being patriotic much like having feelings of love is not the same thing as being loving. Saying you support the troops is not the same as doing something to support the troops. Being patriotic is about what you do, not what you feel.

It is patriotic to:

• pay your taxes
• perform jury duty
• vote
• serve in the military
• serve in the Peace Corps
• serve in the government
• volunteer in civic organizations
• engage in peaceful dissent
• correct your country, when it’s wrong
• support and defend the Constitution
• exercise your constitutional rights
• prosecute those who break the law
• defend those accused of breaking the law
• seek justice in the courthouse instead of the street
• immigrate legally into the country

It is unpatriotic to:

• use positions of public trust for personal gain
• engage in rumor and gossip political campaigns, bereft of facts
• place party politics before country
• make political spectacles out of the minor offenses of the opposing party
• block or minimize investigations into the major offenses of your own party
• ignore the spirit of the law while abiding by the letter of it
• suppress voter turnout
• character assassinate those who don’t agree with you
• pardon the legal offenses of those who support you
• question other’s patriotism because they don’t have the same political beliefs
• undermine the Constitution
• deny other’s their constitutional rights
• place profit ahead of national interest
• lie under oath

Both of these lists could be much larger, but I’m sure you get the idea. Symbols of patriotism are important, but acts of patriotism are what really matter. It’s the difference between style and substance. Which one do you care most about?

There is an internet campaign making the rounds via email and blog claiming that Barack Obama is unpatriotic. One claim is that he’s actually a Muslim and that he was sworn into the Senate on the Koran. Another claims that he refuses to say the Pledge of Allegiance. And yet another claims he is a racist Christian. And finally, that he refuses to wear an American Flag lapel pin. One of these claims is true.

He is not Muslim, much less a member of the strictly orthodox Wahhabi sect as one email has alleged. He was sworn into the senate on his own personal Bible. Senator Keith Ellison from Minnesota, however, is Muslim and was sworn in on a Koran owned by Thomas Jefferson. Being Muslim has no more bearing on patriotism than being Protestant, Jewish, Buddhist, or Atheist. In a country founded on freedom of religion, the charge itself is unpatriotic.

Apparently he will not only say the pledge, but feels comfortable leading the Senate in the pledge on live cable television. No lack of patriotism there.

A racist Christian perhaps? Again, no. The church he belongs to may be pro-black but apparently not anti-white. Since when has being proud of your heritage become unpatriotic? If it is, we need to cancel all the summertime ethnic pride parades and festivals. Need to kick St. Patrick’s day to curb also.

He does, however, refuse to wear an American flag lapel pin. He told an Iowa television news reporter that such symbols

“became a substitute for, I think, true patriotism.” He added: I decided I won’t wear that pin on my chest. Instead, I’m going to try to tell the American people what I believe will make this country great and, hopefully, that will be a testimony to my patriotism.”

He later told an audience during a campaign stop in Iowa:

“Somebody noticed I wasn’t wearing a flag lapel pin and I told folks, well you know what? I haven’t probably worn that pin in a very long time. I wore it right after 9/11,” Mr. Obama said. “But after a while, you start noticing people wearing a lapel pin, but not acting very patriotic. Not voting to provide veterans with resources that they need. Not voting to make sure that disability payments were coming out on time.”

It is true that Barack Obama won’t wear an American flag lapel pin. The question remains, is it unpatriotic? That depends on how you define patriotism. I’ll address that in my next post.