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Sunday, July 10, 2016

Patriot

True patriotism is equal parts public service and public protest.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm curious. You have often stated in your younger years of public protest but what have you personally ever done for public service? Are you a member or contributor to an organization for the betterment of society?
-- Katie L.

Dale Carrico said...

I belong to several organizations, make contributions of time and money to many causes (though I am not exactly rolling in dough as an adjunct), have hosted events and facilitated meetings, and have done such things for years and years. This is common or garden variety stuff for a progressive person with an activist history in an academic setting in a liberal enclave, I daresay. I am not sure why I feel like I am being asked to audition for some role for you or defend myself from some accusation, I hope that is just defensiveness on my part occasioned by some anonymous accusations I have received here lately that seemed to me rather impertinent. I can't help but wonder why you are, as you say, "curious" about my activities, exactly? What has made you so? I'm not exactly secretive about my commitments or my history here on this blog. If you want advice about campaigns or organizations to participate in because you value my perspective as a reader that seems a sensible sort of question, but I don't think you would phrase such a question the way you have done. There is something a bit discomfiting about strangers who seem to think I owe them more than I offer up on my own terms to public scrutiny. Surely you will not take offense if I admit to such a perplexity.