Patriotism and the Middle Way

The centrist position, as I see it, is that you do not always bend over backwards to please foreigners, but you do work to make compassionate adaptations of the American Way when principles are not threatened. From this perspective, it is an extreme-- and they're always unhealthy-- to eradicate the words, "In God We Trust" from coins, monuments, etc., for fear of hurting the feelings of an atheist. But it is just as wrong to trample her human rights and ignore her.

When the promotion of a single religion is supported, for example, that violates the separation of church and state-- a crucial and indispensable ideal. The Ten Commandments, an ancient Jewish document, have no place in school; but they could well be "secularized" or "universalized" to be appropriate for all times, peoples, religions, and cultures.

America does have a culture, of great value, purchased by the blood, sweat, and tears of many. We should not jump on the absurd bandwagon of either the "p.c." crowd or the rightwing whackos. The middle path, as the Buddha promised, feels just fine, just right!:)