h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

On September 11, about 8:00 AM, nearly my whole school trooped down to the library to watch newscasts of burning buildings and the same falling planes, over and over again. In about an hour, the hallways were filled with drawings of American flags and slogans.
"We won't stand defeated! We'll fight back!"
"Planes good, terrorists bad!"
"God Bless America!"
"We love the USA!"
Or just: "PATRIOTIC POSTER! by John and Bill"

Months later, these posters are still hanging in the halls. Once I put a piece of paper up informing the student populace about National Book Week. Within a few days it was replaced by a blank wall. A few weeks ago I taped the the Thingite Manifesto on the walls of the bathroom for a bit of humor. It's gone now. Why are the PATRIOTIC POSTERS allowed to stay up while others are removed instantly?
Because, in the eyes of the students, that would just be un-American.

I have nothing against patriotism when it's real. How many God Bless America posters were hanging on our walls on September 5th? How many slogans were created without reason, just for the sake of supporting our nation and not for the sake of conformity?

This was a lot easier to think about in my mind than it was to write out in a journal. What I'm feeling is hard of describe--perhaps it can be best explained in a recent editorial cartoon in the local paper: a man sits at a table, holding a "United We Stand"-brand coffee filter imprinted with American flags, shouting in frustration, "Enough is enough!"

I know exactly how you feel. I see these huge American flag billboards decaliming "United we Stand" and I'm tempted to inscribe "War is Peace" or "Big Brother is Watching You" beneath them. I'm thankful I live in America (not as opposed to England, Australia, etc, just as opposed to somewhere where I would starve or not have rights) but I think that this is just a tad overboard. Well stated.

Quite. I need to drop by your space more often. These journal entries are a great read.