Everyone of us likes to claim he or she is more patriotic than the other person. We are angered when our patriotism is questioned. Republicans would rap the flag around everything they own. Many of us would engage in all manners of symbolism to show how much we love our beloved America. Words and symbols are insufficient, giving the extra-ordinary times we have been facing. President Kennedy, decades back, told us to ask for what we can do for our country and not what our country can do for us. He was asking for our sacrifice. And if there is any moment that sacrifice is urgently needed, it is now. Unfortunately, that has not been the case. Banks, even with tax payers money, have not acted promptly to rescue homeowners, knowing the ugly consequences of their actions. They hold the nation captive while many suffer and even die, and yet if you call the average bank CEO, he will tell you how patriotic he is. That, in my opinion , is a phony claim. Banks can be creative, in many ways, quickly re-negotiating loans, giving homeowners with lost jobs, a six to nine months, unpenalized holidays, to regain their financial balance. Manufacturing, service and retail businesses, instead of raising prices, can keep them at a price most affordable to the average consumer. That is sacrifice for one’s country. Cities, state governments, I.R.S, instead of adopting aggressive collection methods, piling up late fees and penalties on individuals and companies, should exercise restraint until people and small and large businesses are back on sound, strong , financial footings. Afterall, these are they very sources of future tax revenues. There are so many ways we can contribute, to lift up again, our failing economy. Those institutions and businesses that are profiting from the present ecoomic woes, by engaging in tactics or practices that further exploit a financially depressed American population, should be ashamed of themselves and are unpatriotic. America needs all of us now to make sacrifices. Are we ready to pass the test of patriotism?
Test on Patriotism
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