Tonight’s Kos Kid diary is a rant against patriotism: Daily Kos: Red, White and Blue Idolatry & Why I Walked out of Sunday Morning Service. (Hat tip: Killgore Trout.)

But, uh... don’t question their patriotism.

Today I walked out of church about a third of the way through the service. A soloist was performing “God Bless the USA.” I have always found that song to be especially cloying, but when I noticed it listed in the bulletin I decided to attempt to tolerate it. And I might have managed to do just that had not one or two individuals prompted the entire congregation to stand.

At that moment I felt as though I’d been punched in the gut. And it was a double whammy - not only was I offended politically, I was deeply offended spiritually. I would never under any circumstance stand in tribute to a performance of that particular song. As far as I’m concerned asking me to stand in a sanctuary bordered on blasphemy. How could I in good conscience stand to embrace the lyrics “I’m proud to be an American” in the very same week we learned U.S. soldiers raped an Iraqi woman then murdered her and her family to cover up the crime? What spiritually unwise person planned this nonsense?

UPDATE at 7/2/06 8:07:47 pm:

More Independence Day-themed Daily Kos diaries:

Daily Kos: Thoughts on Independence Day.

To me, songs such as “God Bless The USA” demonstrate a rabid sort of nationalism that has become embedded in this country since September 11. Before that tragic event, I’m sure that most folks on the right wing really didn’t give much of a damn themselves about making a show about being ‘patriotic’. Nowadays, almost every GOP politician (and some Democratic ones) wear a lapel of the American flag on their suits. At any chance they get, they’ll use the flag - or its potential destruction - for political gain. You have to prove your pro-American credentials for everyone because you’re either with us or you’re with the terrorists.

Daily Kos: The Flag of the Police State.

Daily Kos: Anti-American You -A poem I wrote August 2005.

Daily Kos: A mournful Fourth of July: have my ancestors’ dreams been squandered?

As we near the 230th “birthday” of the United States, or at least of the colonial resistance, I have been reflecting on whether I am proud of my country or ashamed of the direction it has taken these last several years. The United States of 2006 is not my image of a nation that I have lived in for a half century. Rather, USA-2006’s image merges with other, less palatable images of totalitarian countries and theocratic societies, both real and fictional.