I'm an immigrant. I became a U.S. citizen on 5/10/05 and will vote in my first presidential election this November. Seeing that my native country is Germany it may not come as a surprise that my relationship with the concept of patriotism has mostly been marked by suspicion and cynicism. Nevertheless, this election season with all its heated discussions about what it means to be patriotic has brought me to a place of new comfort with the power of symbols, courtesy of Barack Obama.
Please join me on a personal photo journey to celebrate Independence Day as a first time ever really (really...? REALLY!) proud and country loving patriot...
I know there are a lot of people in this country, and on this blog, who are a bit uncomfortable with the almost mythical nature of Barack Obama's candidacy. Too much lofty talk (Hope, Change, Yes We Can), and not enough action (FISA, NAFTA, Defending Clark). In fact, part of the reason why there are so many hard feelings about some of these specific issues seems to be because the powerful symbolism and language may have created a bit of a disconnect between ideals and reality. The atmosphere seems to have become very tense, almost reminding me of the type of head-heavy, unbending political discourse I often encounter back in Deutschland. So to loosen the jaw muscles a bit, let me start things off on this fabulous and storied national holiday by humoring you with the quintessential modern day archetype, the bumper sticker:
I was born in 1967 and grew up within a collective psyche that was still very much in "fascism rehab." My parents' generation had done the heavy lifting and had achieved physical withdrawal from the poisonous symbols and gestures that my grandparents had somehow and inexplicably become hooked on. My generation's task was to cope with the mental and spiritual void left from having zero pride in our country. I grew up pretty much anti-everything: Flag waving made me cringe, the national anthem sent shivers down my spine, and people raising their hand to their heart felt too much like Triumph of the Will. This year I am raising my hand for the first time.
It took me quite a while to understand that the meaning is not in the symbols themselves but in the collective consciousness driving the symbolism. For example, the swastika is considered a very auspicious sign in Hinduism while most of us in the Western world have psychically embraced it as the universal symbol for evil. The White House, for example, has for many in this country and around the world become the symbol of power-hungry bullying, to the point that everything that comes out of it is met with suspicion. As I found out last month on my first trip to the nation's capital since taking the citizenship oath, it is actually a relatively small building, and yet it looms so large in the global collective psyche. As a peace-loving patriot the thought of injecting new energy into this symbol just tickles the soul...
"In offering to you, my countrymen, these counsels of an old and affectionate friend, I dare not hope they will make the strong and lasting impression I could wish; that they will control the usual current of the passions, or prevent our nation from running the course which has hitherto marked the destiny of nations. But, if I may even flatter myself, that they may be productive of some partial benefit, some occasional good; that they may now and then recur to moderate the fury of party spirit, to warn against the mischiefs of foreign intrigue, to guard against the impostures of pretended patriotism... "
George Washington, from his Farewell Address
Now you may say, "dude, don't get all warm and fuzzy on us! What about FISA? What about the separation of church and state?" and I am fully with you on that. Hell, I was for the Green Party in the 90s, supported (though couldn't vote for) Nader in 2000, and have been feeling disenfranchised ever since, for exactly those reasons. But see, I think we are in the middle of a seismic shift of consciousness, and it is our grand opportunity to transform our archetypes, which is a prerequisite for changing our laws and social conduct in any meaningful way. Speaking of transforming society...
"It may seem strange that any men should dare to ask a just God's assistance in wringing their bread from the sweat of other men's faces, but let us judge not, that we be not judged."
from Abraham Lincoln's second inaugural address
Joseph Campbell, in The Power of Myth, his legendary interviews with Bill Moyers, said:
"The reference of the metaphor in religious traditions is to something transcendent that is not literally any thing. If you think that the metaphor is itself the reference, it would be like going to a restaurant, asking for the menu, seeing beefsteak written there, and starting to eat the menu."
I look at Barack Obama's run for the presidency as such a metaphor. If we all take every single one of his words literally, we will soon be eating the menu, and possibly each other. However, if we can look beyond the imperfect messenger and connect with the creative and expansive energy at the core of his candidacy, we can shift the paradigm.
You see, We are the Ones We've been waiting for is not just some sort of empty phrase. Rather, it is a powerful metaphor that hits very deep, right into the heart of our humanity. It is not really a campaign slogan but a universal call to wake up and rediscover our own unique gifts that are needed to create this new, more truthful vision of what we think life on this planet should look like. It's an invitation for each of us to jump over our own inner wall...
The jar has been opened, the bottle uncorked. And yes, this means that it is okay and important to interact and jam with our candidate, voicing our concerns and grievances. And it's also understandable that folks who have yearned so much for this new and exciting energy are worried that too much discord will let the air out of the balloon. The way I see it, this new paradigm we're working toward doesn't function on either/or anymore. Rather, it is asking all of us to look at each other as part of a whole, to learn by listening, to disagree without being disagreeable. It's okay to mix our symbols...
"Once in a while you can get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right."
Robert Hunter
The reason that I, descendant of a people engaged in one the darkest chapters in human history, have such confidence in this process and can write these words as a proud and hopeful new patriot, is that I have seen my native country gradually transcend to its better nature. Not surprisingly, everyone over there is rooting for Barack, fired up and ready for a seismic shift. Me, I'm telling them we've got it all under control over here, walking side by side...