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Religion and Patriotism in America

02/18/01

I stop in Dayton, Ohio where I walk along the Veteran's Memorial Walkway and then across the Great Miami River to explore downtown Dayton. I move on to Indiana where I visit the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame and then head to Indianapolis. I park the van in downtown Indianapolis and explore the Indiana State Museum. After the State Museum I walk around the statehouse and Monument Circle where I tour the Civil War museum below the Sailor and Soldier's Memorial (a very impressive monument). I then drive up and down Meridian Street enjoying the mansions on one of America's grandest boulevards. Being Sunday, I go in search of a Catholic Church. I find many, but none with a late service so I move on. Oh well, another day in Purgatory I suppose! I leave Indianapolis, a city I was very impressed with, and stop in Urbana, Illinois for the evening.

Reflection:

Are Americans a warrior people? Every town I come to has monuments to our soldiers, and in many cities (like Indianapolis for example) the grandest public monuments remind us of war. America was founded with a Declaration of Independence and a Revolutionary War, and Americans always remember that our rights were not a birthright or granted to us--rather, they were won by bloodshed and protected by force.

On Main Street in Dayton, Ohio there stands a statue of a Union soldier. On Prince Street in Alexandria, Virginia there stands a Confederate soldier with his back to the North. In Indianapolis, the large memorial in the center of the city is erected to the memory of those who fought for "The War for The Union." In Alexandria, at the site of the Marshall House where the first casualty of the Civil War took place, a plaque is erected to the memory of a man who died for "The Cause of Southern Independence." The same war, yet very different conceptions of the struggle. Yet, both sides remember her soldiers.

As I ponder the Civil War, I come to the realization that the grand conflict which claimed more lives than all other American wars combined, is really not black and white, but rather blue and gray. My conclusion? Slavery absolutely had to end and the Union be preserved. But, states are separate political bodies that have their own powers as well. America is both an ideal, and an actual place. Both one nation and a set of fifty smaller republics. It is a noble trait of our people that we always remember those who paid the ultimate price for our liberty.

Congressional Districts:

Congressional Districts: Ohio #7,3,8 Indiana #2,6,10,7,5 Illinois #15 (322 Left to Visit)

03/13/02

Fort Benning, home of the infantry. After little sleep on a hard Army floor, I get up and record my thoughts. I then take a jog around base, realizing how much I miss my weights and regular exercise. The road is so grueling that I rarely exercise when out seeing the country. I am usually so exhausted after all the driving I don't need it to sleep--but I need it for my health.

Rob gets off early and we grab lunch. Then we visit the Ranger Memorial and then tour the Infantry Museum, a very impressive display on Infantry from America and around the world. Rob buys me some food at the commissary and gives me some gas money. He took good care of me. We then watch some TV, read a bit and call it an early night.

Reflection:

I have seen a great deal of military sites this trip: Fort Leavenworth, the Eisenhower Center, Schriever Air Force Base, countless military monuments and now, Fort Benning. It fills me with admiration and pride for our military. We often admire things we will never do. Thus, I admire Navy fighter pilots, Marines and Army and Air Force officers. They make our nation great. It is a very honorable and good thing to have served the US military. Sometimes I feel guilty about never having served in the military, yet I go to bed and wake up each morning confident I am following my call. To love and to seek to understand America is also to serve her.

Americans are a warrior people. Our history, including our current history, is shaped by our wars and our conflicts. We like a good fight where we can assert both our moral and military superiority. A lot of those Rangers, Infantry men and Marines join up with the hopes of battle. We should never engage in fruitless wars or conflicts without cause. Yet, when duty calls and justice is on our side, the American people answer with an unmatched enthusiasm. The military is like a muscle that needs exercise to remain strong. It must be used from time to time to stay in shape. As the infantry like to say, "Follow me!" Yes, follow me to some new districts……

03/17/02

I awake, record my reflections and attend Mass at St. James Catholic Church in Sulphur Springs, Texas. The Mass is entirely in Spanish, and I am one of the only Gringos there. Afterwards, I return to the Massey compound for a fine Sunday brunch and hours long political discussions with the Massey family and family friend Larry Powers, who was wise beyond his beers which were considerable. Later, a heated game of scrabble ensues where Larry and I were bested by Jeff and Jack Massey. The rest of the day is low-key.

Reflection:

Even within the same religion, racial balkanization occurs. Twice on this journey I have gone to Spanish Masses. I like the music, the Hispanic ladies and appreciate the strength and vigor Hispanics bring to our Church. Yet, I don't like seeing services that are all white or all Hispanic. American Catholicism doesn't want to become two completely separate experiences for Anglo and Hispanic Catholics. Sunday morning is certainly one of the most segregated times of the week--the opposite should be true.