Sometimes Patriots Can Be A Nasty Bunch

His name is Marko Lokar. His stance on the Middle East war became the focal point of perceived patriotism this month.

Lokar is a 21-year-old sophomore at Seton Hall. Rather, he was at Seton Hall. Now, he's back home, in Italy, with his wife, having quit the Pirates' basketball team under death threats, jeers, boos and other gestures of disgust and loathing.

Why?

Because of a decision on a topic which, at any other time, could appear frivolous or even petty.
He refused to wear the American flag on his uniform.

I call this petty because before this war to free Kuwait broke out, there was no call to wear the red, white and blue. Indeed, when this war is through, I'm quite sure the ribbons and flags will be put away again, never to be seen until another war - or hostage situation - takes place.

But the flag - as with yellow ribbons and other shows of support for the U.S. troops in Saudi Arabia - is a symbol of patriotism. Virtually every sports team in America, it seems, has a U.S. flag sewn on its uniform.

His decision did not come from a viewpoint of patriotism, or the supposed lack thereof, though. Lokar's statement stood with his personal, religious convictions as a Christian.

As a Christian, he said, he cannot support war in any form. And supporting the troops, he added, is the same as approving of war - the troops are doing the fighting.

Now, i can understand this viewpoint. If you don't support war in general, how can you support the troops? There's a fine line between the two, and in Lokar's case, he knows where that line is.

But this isn't a column about one man's religious convictions versus supporting troops.

This is about freedom - the freedom to express yourself, politically or religiously, verbally or silent.
We, the American people, should be ashamed of ourselves for this violation of the most basic, unalienable right - the right to express our opinions.

Or not to.

It was Lokar's decision not to wear a flag on his uniform. So what? A flag is a symbol, an icon of our country, and the freedom it offers to old and young, black and white, unbiased and bigoted.

What gives any of us the right to impose on anyone else what - if any - symbol we should wear?

By not wearing an American flag, does the pride I have in my country wane?

By not wearing a yellow ribbon, am I any less patriotic than I was before Desert Storm began?

I don't think so.

This radical wave of "patriotism" has become an obsession, in many cases an insult to what the word is supposed to mean.

A patriot is someone who loves his or her country and passionately guards its welfare.

A patriot is not required to wear that support of country on his sleeve, chest, jacket or hat. Or force it on others.

This is exactly what the lunch-mob mentality crowds at Seton Hall basketball games were vigorously implying, however.

Through their freedom of speech, they were telling Lokar - and the rest of the nation - that there were no choices on patriotic showings anymore. That it is now mandatory.

If everyone else in a group is showing so-called support by wearing a certain patch, then the decision should be unanimous.

This is wrong.

Lokar's stance was also one of freedom. It, too, was a form of freedom of speech. It is not against the law in this country.

At least, it's not supposed to be.

This article originally appeared in the Ogemaw County Herald.