Tradition

  I saw a photograph of a young man singing the national anthem while wearing his hat. Apparently, it had created somewhat of a social sensation with some weighing in on how the youth of today do not practice tradition. It is something I have noticed myself. But I wouldn't say it is just the youth, I've seen lots of older people doing the same. I've even had others argue with me about such things as respecting the flag. I've had others tell me I'm too old fashioned in that regard, that respect for the flag and tradition are things of the past, unimportant and limiting. Those traditions somehow interfere with their quality of life. 

 Traditions are what bind us to the past. Traditions create social structure. That is their sole purpose, and it is a very important purpose indeed. Without tradition social structure collapses. The evidence of that is before us. We are abandoning the traditions of our ancestors and the results are beginning to tear the country apart. The injustices of the past were not traditions, don't attempt to use that argument. The injustices of the past were what they are today, an injustice. The only difference being those injustices were allowed to exist. A good number of them have been eliminated. That is the tradition in America, the tradition of righting a wrong. It began with our declaration of independence. "When in the course of human events" It wasn't tradition that was being broken however, it was law. There is a big difference between the two. 

 Tradition is showing respect to the past and to those that went before. It creates family and that sense of belonging to something larger, something bigger, more important than us. Practicing those traditions isn't some sort of capitulation, some form of submission or surrender. It is simply an acknowledgement of the past. Traditions give us comfort. Traditions shared by the collective make the collective! We all belong when we share our traditions. That is why we should maintain those traditions, why they are so important to a society. Laws are transient, laws are changeable, laws provide guidance, but laws do not create tradition. We make laws to celebrate traditions. We call those traditions national holidays. With other traditions we establish informal laws called a code. There is a flag code, but it isn't enforceable by law. You should place your right hand over your heart during the national anthem and remove your hat while standing at attention facing the flag. It's not a law, it's a tradition. I was taught that by my father to show respect to the flag and what that flag symbolizes. It is to remember, to pay respect to those that served to protect that flag. 

 I don't understand it when someone wants to just dismiss those traditions as trivial. When others act as those traditions are some sort of imposition. Seems to me it is a small price to pay if it does impose upon your life for thirty seconds or so. I really don't understand it when it comes from those today that practice their social virtues in a very public way, indeed flying their own flags and symbols insisting I respect those. A rainbow flag isn't a tradition, it is a symbol of what? A social virtue? Or is it a sign of your personal moral code? Can't be that though when many attach a disclaimer to that saying, I'm not Gay, but I support Gay. So, it isn't your morality, but it is alright for others to have that morality. Is that a tradition? Interesting to note is that I can be prosecuted for disrespecting that flag, but not for the American flag. Makes me believe that the rainbow flag is protected by legality, not morality. Legally traditional? It can be confusing at times.

 To dismiss tradition is to forget the past. The past exists to learn from that past. If we erase that, how can we learn? If the only thing we remember from the past are the mistakes we made, we are only remembering half. We need to be reminded of the good things as well. That is what tradition does. It reenforces the successes of the past. When we pervert those traditions to satisfy our current needs or wants, we devalue that tradition. That is when they get dismissed and forgotten. Why do we respect that flag? It's because the flag symbolizes the nation. In battle whenever that flag fell it was picked up by another, that despite the fact it made that person a target. Yes, it was a signal flag to the enemy and their objective was to destroy that flag. They didn't! That is why the respect is shown to the flag, that is what that tradition is all about. To use the flag for any other purpose is disrespectful to the sacrifice made. The flag is the heart of America. It represents all those who came before. Americans. 

 All of us practice tradition. We may not share that tradition with everyone, that tradition may not even be recognized by others, they never heard of that. We call those traditions family traditions. And they can be both good and bad. Hank Williams Jr. even wrote a song about that. On a national level tradition create a national family. A family where we all respect and share in those traditions. New traditions may be added but that doesn't mean the erasure of the old. It also doesn't mean I have to adopt your tradition; I simply should respect that tradition. It's like wearing a head covering in a synagogue, I'm not Jewish but I would certainly respect that tradition. The Thanksgiving Day feast is an American tradition. Pumpkin carving is another traditional activity in America. Holding the door for a lady was a type of traditional conduct, one disappearing today. All those things serve to make us a family. The family is falling apart. We are losing the glue that holds us together. The glue is tradition respected and passed down to each generation. An acknowledgement of past accomplishments struggles and triumphs.