The Kind-Hearted Smart Aleck

While our freedoms and the protection of them may be no laughing matter, Donald Trump's seeming obsession with that which symbolizes them cracks me up. Let's stand back and look at this entire situation. Donald Trump has consistently gone after NFL players for kneeling during the National Anthem. He's referred to them as unpatriotic (among other things) and suggested they should be fined, suspended, kicked out of the league, or even deported. He's claimed to have felt so strongly about this due to our brave men and women whom have fought and died to establish and maintain our freedoms, and the flag being a symbol of them. Trump has also referred to this country as the greatest and freest in the world. So, according to him, he's Mr. Patriotic. If the man is consistent with anything, though, it's his inconsistency. He campaigned on the slogan of "Make America Great Again," meaning he didn't think it was all too special prior to him stepping into of...

Ever since the 9/11 attacks, it's seemed as though many on the right side of the political spectrum have increasingly been of the mindset that if one doesn't consistently showcase the American flag with the clothing they wear, doesn't scream he or she loves America through a megaphone at least five times a day, and doesn't acknowledge at least twice a week that America is the greatest country in the history of the universe, that person can't be truly patriotic; and if a person so much as questions America on any front, that individual hates the country and should move elsewhere. I'm sorry, but that mentality is stupid to a degree of which Sheldon Cooper isn't even aware. Sure, it's great for a person to love his or her country or to love their local sports team, but it's also ridiculous to think a country or sports team lacks fault. Many seem to think that if a person doesn't feel their country is perfect, they can't love their country. Tha...

There's a distinct difference between just loving oneself and loving one's country, yet it appears as if the wealthiest among us, as well as the most conservative of politicians, have been able to increasingly blur those lines over the past several years. For some strange reason, when a wealthy or powerful person loudly declares that they love this country or that it's the country in the world, people tend to respond, "They're such good, patriotic Americans! Nobody loves this country more than they do!" However, as the old saying goes, "Actions speak louder than words," and their actions tend to tell a different story. The extremely wealthy, and many far-right conservative politicians for that matter, live in a different world than most of us. They may all have loved this country at one point, but in their minds, they've made it, so now they can afford to stop looking after the country and simply just look after themselves. Many even deny the...