Patriotism
By Amdetsion Kidane, DBA

On this day of independence, I like to reflect on the word patriotism and its manifestation on individuals who claim to be patriots.  When I embark on this issue, I am not in any way claiming to be an authority in it.  I am simply reflecting on the universal manifestations as I see it in relation to my country of heritage, Eritrea.  The American Forefathers fought gallantly to get rid of the British rule and then to defend the hard-won independence from it and other hostile nation forever.  Early on though, the citizens of the colonized states expressed their frustration peacefully with slogans such as “No taxation without representation” and “Give me death or give me liberty.”   These slogans were not a feeling of patriotism as such, but were expression of frustration resulting from deprivation by the British government of the inalienable rights of the Americans to exist as free and as equal. However, the unwillingness of the British government to address the issue triggered mob actions against the government as is exemplified by the Boston Tea Party.  The subsequent closure of the port of Boston made life difficult for Bostonians and by extension, for citizens in the rest of the colonies.  As John Adams put it, it was “an age of trial”, that triggered a call for armed struggle against the British army.  Indeed, the American people responded to the call of the patriots and fought with bravery and devotion that a sovereign country yet to come demanded.  They created a nation that they called theirs and committed themselves to defend it from any aggression including the lingering anger of defeat and intent of the British government to strike again as it did at the White House as late as 1812.  During those thirty-seven years of independence and simmering hostility, with each trial and past memory of accomplishments, the people were energized with patriotism in defense of the hard-won independence whenever it was threatened while committing themselves to pursuit of economic development of the newly born nation.  A small gesture of patriotism, perhaps more descriptive of it than flag-waving, was Dolly Madison’s rescue of valuable treasures, including state papers and a Gilbert Stuart painting of President George Washington, from the White House before it was burned by the British army in 1814 during the War of 1812.  Another war that energized U.S. patriotism is the Mexican–American War, an armed military conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848 in the wake of the 1845 U.S. annexation of Texas.

As said earlier, the driving force for the evolution of patriotism is unjust and unfair treatment of citizens by a colonizer or a series of colonizers.  The oppressed people of Eritrea and the people of the United States expressed their frustration resulting from deprivation of their rights peacefully.  Lack of response to addess their concern, coupled with cruel treatment of the people by the colonizers to supress dissidents with force triggered armed struggle calling for commitment and devotion of the citizens to fight for the right of the people first.  Love for a country is deeply anchored in the bitter experience of hardship and sacrifice that people go through against all odds to uproot the cause of injustice and be owners of one’s own land once for all.  As such, the Eritrean independence is attained at high human sacrifice, destruction of economic infrastracture and disintegration of the social fabric. About eighty-five thousand fighters and hundreds of thousands civilins were killed and close to a million were displaced internally and/or took refuge in neighboring countries. This harsh experience implanted a feeling of patriotism in Eritreans who were affected one way or another long before independence and the right to live freely in one’s own land was realized.  Any external and even internal attempt to disturb the hard-gained freedom and prevailing tranquility is countered with force reinforced with feeling of commitement and devotion.   The American Civil War was a living a example of patriotism anchored on value and morality to prevent disintegration of a nation that was prospering economically and politically. 

Eritrean patriotism during the struggle was unparalleled with patriotism of any other nationalities of modern time.  During the struggle young Eritreans from within joined in mass the struggle for independence.  Eritreans living in the diaspora, on their own volution, deferred their education to work double shift in order to contribute money to humanitarian organzation operating in Eritrea. School children at street corners in Europe passed fliers exposing the unwarranted flow of weapons to Ethiopia to be used against the just Eritrean struggle for independence. Seventeen years after independence, Eritrean patriotism is still running high although in different forms.  Eritreans within the country and in the diaspora are still showing their patriotism in action by contributing money to defend the sovereignty of the nation as was evidenced during the border conflict with Ethiopia in 1998-2000. Recognizing that Eritrea is under constant threat from its neighbor, Ethiopia, which subscribes to a policy of “no-war, no peace”, Eritrean patriotism is at work challenging financially Ethiopia’s objective of stangulating Eritrea economically.  Eritreans in the diaspora are supporting families of martyred fighters with generous financial contribution thus sharing the financial burden of the government.  Eritrean experts in different fields of expertise take leave of absence for the maximum period they can to contribute their servuce for free and enjoy being with relatives in a country they loved so much and contributed to in its fight for independence.

Indeed, there is a lot of flag-waving and doning of full-size flags during festivities. There is pinning of symbolic figures depicting battles and group of heroic events, and dancing to live bands or songs recorded on CDs describing events in battles. When pressed for opinions about tunes they dance to, Eritreans express their feeling of patriotism with emotions of sorrow and even tears triggered by memories of sacrifice fellow Eritreans paid so that they, the living, would enjoy the fruit of freedom, qualifying their emotion with plege to pick up the mantle. It bothers me though that with the passage of time, the intensity of feeling of patriotism that we manifest at one time may be limited to merely flag-waving or even at worse neglect as if there is no social issue of national implication to be involved in to make our nation look better in all respects.   That is also patriotism.