Patriotic fire burns beyond July Fourth

You may ask why this Rusty Saber wasn’t written in advance of the celebration of the Declaration of Independence, allowing it to have appeared before, not after, the holiday.

A legitimate question, indeed.

The easiest answer to the question is that in order to meet my early deadline, I’d have needed to write about Independence Day more than a week in advance, and a previously written special SBJ 25th anniversary column appeared before this one.

Truth be told, I’m way ahead of myself.

Besides, this Rusty Saber isn’t about the Independence Day holiday. It is about patriotism.

Here I am at the keyboard, trying to concentrate on putting together something somewhat readable while basking in the glow of various symbols of love of country.

For instance, I can’t count the number of times that I heard Ray Charles’ incomparable version of “America the Beautiful.” If one were to set out to find one artist singing one song that incorporates what America is all about, that one would be the obvious choice. Ray Charles was able to capture the very essence of America.

As a part of the Fourth of July hoopla, many of Norman Rockwell paintings were seen in print and on TV. Just as the character of the nation was captured by Ray Charles in “America the Beautiful,” Norman Rockwell discovered the persona of America in his paintings of ordinary people going about being Americans.

At the moment, I feel somewhat like I do at Christmas when I wish the concept of peace on earth and the spirit of giving could last all year-round. Now I want to see the spirit of patriotism remain in vogue beyond this midsummer holiday.

Truth be told, I’m not a fireworks enthusiast. But they are an integral part of Independence Day celebrations. The business folks say that a measure of the degree of national patriotic fervor is the sale of fireworks and the number of people attending fireworks displays. Apparently, sales were very good. If the 60,000 people who attended Springfield’s Firefall and the more than 100,000 at the James River Assembly of God Church-sponsored “I Love America” display are any measure, patriotism is alive and well in the Ozarks.

Locally and nationally, parades, picnics, fireworks and family gatherings were plentiful.

If Norman Rockwell were alive today and painted a typical July Fourth family scene, it probably would include a father in an Uncle Sam hat cooking on a charcoal grill with mom in a red, white and blue blouse keeping a motherly eye on the kids shooting firecrackers. Somewhere, an American flag would be prominently displayed.

Old-fashioned patriotism was considered corny by many and had just about faded from public notice prior to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11. Then, a patriotic fervor, the likes of which was unknown since the end of World War II, descended upon the nation. Although the flag waving has died down some since that devastating day, numerous patriotic decals and bumper stickers can be seen on cars, and the flag is more conspicuous than before. It seems there is enough residual national pride to account for what seems a more rousing 2005 July Fourth salute to America.

Although far from perfect, America is certainly worthy of praise from the people. More immigrants come to our shores and borders than can possibly be accommodated. Ironically, one of the nation’s greatest problems is illegal immigration. The fact that so many want to live here speaks volumes about the character of this country.

Even though the Fourth of July is now long past, the patriotic fire still burns.

Joe McAdoo is former chairman of the communication department at Drury University.