Patriotism.

Around most of the nation, when the national anthem is played before a sporting event, crowds stand in silent respect, hands over their hearts.

Not in Chicago.

Growing up a Blackhawks fan, I was able to personally witness the stunning phenomenon of a Chicago Anthem, in all its goose-bump inducing patriotic glory. I still remember my first game, against the Toronto Maple-Leafs. The organ -- a real pipe organ built into the roof of the stadium -- began to play the introduction, and the roar from the crowd welled up like a mighty beast. In other cities, they stand silently. In Chicago, they yell and scream and cry until the building can contain no more sound. It was not infrequent for the anthem to be completely drowned out in a fit of patriotic bliss.

You may find this disrespectful. You'd be missing the point.

Below is the link to a youtube video that perhaps proves my point. This is the clip of the anthem from the '91 NHL All-Star game. The first Gulf-War had started two days ago, and America was certainly on edge. That war, however, had a different tone, and some believe that it was set in-part by this stunning moment. Please watch the whole thing, if you will. Revel in it, if you can...



The very sound of it would have been enough to send a terrorist-pig fleeing back to the dirty hole he crawled out of.

Chicago Stadium was torn down over a decade ago now. The Hawks are a pitiful mismanaged shell of their former selves. Such shows of Patriotism rarely happen anymore. We're now in a second gulf-war, and we don't seem to have the stomach for it.

Every soldier's death is a tragedy. These men and women didn't sign up for the Cubscouts, however, but for the Armed Forces. Combat and the risks it entails are part of the job. Our concern should be with funding Americans, finding allies, and winning the war on terror.

Militant Islam is a bloody mess, and right now, America is the wall it is breaking on... or, is it breaking America?

First, we must remember that most Americans desired this war. If they were naive enough to think that we could accomplish radical change with only 100 casualties, such naivity is not the fault of the current administration. As it stands, a five year war with around 3,000 deaths is a merciful one -- we should be glad it's gone as well as it has.

Second, we can't run. The war must be addressed in an open, bi-partisan, wholly American setting. Solutions must be found. It must be warned, however, that no solution will avoid the loss of many more lives.

This includes running.

In a day and age where politics trump considerations for troop morale, I can't help but think how much our troops could use the support they had back in '91. I can't help but wonder: have we lost the stomach and the spine to be what America needs to be? Can we still cheer with such fervor for our country?