BETWEEN THE LINES: PATRIOTISM AND HOLLYWOOD: ARE AMERICANS PATRIOTIC?

"War makes rattling good history, but peace is poor reading." -- Thomas Hardy

I watched "Air Force One" again last weekend and it sparked a conversation about patriotism in America -- does it really exist?

Apparently, I was so engrossed in the action and suspense of the film the first time around that I missed all the patriotic messages. I'm not really sure how I overlooked them, but it happened.

In the movie, terrorists capture Air Force One and attempt to take control of the plane. They try to kill the president (Harrison Ford) when he botches their plans to reunite Mother Russia.

In the course of the movie, several Americans are killed by the terrorists. One soldier flies his fighter jet into a missile to divert it from hitting Air Force One. He knows full well that he will die trying to save the president.

I am not necessarily convinced that Americans are as patriotic as the movie portrayed. In my first viewing, the theater audience clapped and cheered when the president and his family were rescued.

But it seems odd that a theater filled with people would show such emotion when many of them don't stand and salute the flag when it is raised or parades by.

Nor does this same crowd know the words to the national anthem when it's sung at sporting events.

All this leads me to wonder: Are there really people out there who would die for their nation? Would someone commit their lives to a cause, only to die in the process of defending their beliefs?

I think of myself as a patriotic person, but I'm not sure I could die for my nation. I know that thousands died trying to protect my freedoms and I'm grateful.

I love the fact that our founding fathers fought for their beliefs, but I'm not sure I could do the same.

Maybe some of the reason I find this sort of patriotism so difficult to understand is because I grew up in an era without any wars. There hasn't been a political or social cause that I have supported so much that I would give my life for its benefit.

The only war to speak of in my lifetime was the Persian Gulf War, and because it didn't last very long, it's hard to say exactly how it affected my life.

My parents and grandparents remember World War II, the Korean War and Vietnam. But there is nothing to define my generation.

Although I didn't have many friends or relatives who served in the Persian Gulf battles, I remember organizing an assembly at my high school to honor those who did. I watched with rapt attention to the CNN reports and military briefings from Baghdad.

Regardless of how difficult it can be to understand the reasons for war, the men and women who serve in the military deserve recognition. They are doing a job and doing it well.

Because there haven't been any wars during my generation so far, I don't think the Generation X crowd properly honors America's veterans. The veterans probably don't get as much respect as they deserve, simply because we have no frame of reference.

Today is Veterans Day -- a national observance to honor the men and women who have served in the U.S. military. Thank someone who's served in defense of liberty and freedom. They surely deserve it.

~Laura Johnston is a copy editor for the Southeast Missourian.