Patriotism

As I cycled through Cleveland on 9/11 I was struck by all the flags, tributes and memorials.  It was a Saturday morning and I had to wait for first light to get started on the day’s ride.  The roads were empty, except for a few other bikers and the occasional car.  The route was on Lake Avenue (as in Lake Erie), with beautiful homes on each side and glimpses of the big lake to the north.  Small USA flags were common in the front years.  As I stopped shivering and finally woke up, I realized often there were 11 flags.  Streetlight poles had flags, bikeways through parks had amazing displays of flags, and I even went by Boulevard of 500 Flags.  This was no temporary display, there was a big blue point-of-interest street sign.  The more I rode, the more flags I saw.  There were more flags on display than I have ever seen, even on 4th of July.

What I saw in Cleveland was my grandfather’s patriotism.  Grandpa Deane proudly flew the flag and took it down each night until he got a light installed.  Grandpa demonstrated his patriotism though his love of his country and his respect for the flag.

I contrast this love of country with the patriotism I saw cycling through eastern Washington and most of Montana earlier this summer.  “Don’t tread on me” was the common theme.  It was a patriotism focused on freedom - as in individual freedom - land of the free - inalienable rights - no one is going to tell ME what to do.  I would see the coiled-timber-rattlesnake-ready-to-strike (Gadsden) flag on poles in front yards and on poles in the back of pickup trucks.  I even saw a flag where the snake was obliterating the Stars and Stripes.  Maybe I should view the flying of the Gadsden flag as a historic or military tribute, but it feels like something all together different.  As a cyclist, a don’t-tread-on-me driver behind the wheel of a large vehicle made me very nervous.  Was my mere presence bicycling on a shared roadway a perceived form of treading on him? (yes- it was always a male).  I certainly felt intimidated at times.

As those trucks roared by, here is what I was going through my head.  I was cycling on paved roads - a shared community resource.  I didn’t even think about my safety - crime is nearly non-existent thanks to a common attitude that we should respect each other and a legal system with law enforcement to back it up. If I crashed, trained emergency medical personnel would quickly be saving my life.  I was breathing clear air, drinking clean water, and eating healthy fresh food. I have avoided polio, covid and a host of other diseases that would prohibit such a ride because of a world class health system.  I am well educated because of state schools, and I have time available to cycle across American because we have a financial system that works, one reason along with many others that gave me the freedom to take 60 days off of work.  Very, very little of what makes my cross country bicycling ride possible had to do with me.

Why do I bike across America?  Because, like my grandfather, I love America.  My tribute to 9/11 is to the first responders who thought of others before themselves.  To those in the military who thought of all the folks back home before their personal safety.  And don’t forget all the other public servants who maintain the roads, collect taxes so I pay my fair share, and those who provide so many other services. The strength of USA is all of us, United, cooperating, working together for the common good.  United in caring for everyone in this great country.  

I am thankful to the citizens of Cleveland for reminding me of what makes America great.  What really drove it home was when I saw a running group that chose to honor the day by carrying large America flags on their run.   These friends, together, looked beyond themselves to make their Saturday morning run a bit more meaningful on 9/11.  

[Written on 9/12 but posting delayed until I could add the pictures]