In an era characterized by rampant patriotism and nationalism, individuals are undoubtedly attracted to patriotic images, icons, and sentiments, often subconsciously and automatically supporting anyone that attaches itself to them. Thus, leaders and institutions will purposefully attach themselves to these patriotic memories to arouse likeability, support, and even profit. After all, it’s difficult to deny the moral character and dedication to their country of those who attach themselves to such powerful national sentiments. This phenomenon is admittedly unavoidable, but when does it go too far?
In recent weeks, I have witnessed multiple instances of individuals and institutions using the memory of Americans who died for their country for personal gain. On a political level, there’s the case of Donald Trump at Arlington Cemetery to honor those who died in the US withdrawal from Afghanistan; on the internet, it’s the US military recruiting young kids through video games; and at our school, it’s Boston College profiting on likeability and possibly financial level from the memory of Welles Crowther.
Before going further, I want to give a major disclaimer. The Americans who died in these tragedies deserve our utmost respect, and in no way am I claiming that what these individuals did wasn’t heroic. I merely want to examine instances where many have claimed the memory of these individuals was disrespected. Welles Crowther and those serving in the US military, past and present, deserve Americans’ respect, and it’s our job to make sure we are respecting them. It is time to break the mindset that all patriotism is ethical; it is important to examine instances of possibly unethical propaganda and learn to watch when patriotism in advertising goes too far.
Recently, the most widely publicized example of this was Trump at a wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery. In August, while attempting to take pictures honoring the thirteen US service members who died in the withdrawal from Afghanistan, Trump’s team got into a possibly physical altercation when a “cemetery official tried to prevent Trump staffers from filming and photographing in a section where recent US casualties are buried.” Trump has widely criticized the Biden-Trump Administration for the chaotic military operation, including two days before at a speech in Detroit and the Presidential debate on September 10. The marketing tactic may have backfired politically, but his motive was clear: get voters to associate Harris with the cause of the deaths of these service members and Trump as the sympathetic, patriotic leader who they should vote for if they want a President who supports our troops.
Further, another particularly shocking example I’ve discovered recently is that the US military recruits kids by playing video games with – and hoping to “inspire” – them. This February, The Guardian reported on a US Navy facility in Tennessee that has an “esports team” of twelve sailors who work to convince kids not yet thirteen that the entertaining violence in their video games could be applied in the real world. Even more, they can serve and protect America while doing it. Not only was this team a part of the $4.3 million marketing budget for the US Navy, but it’s part of a Department of Defense-wide initiative to market to young kids over video games by streaming or playing with them live. By attaching the dedication to their favorite video games and forms of entertainment to the dedication to their country, the military grooms countless kids already entertained by violence to join their ranks.
However, evoking patriotism for political or institutional gain isn’t happening on just the national level, but there are traces of it at our own school as well. Admittedly, what inspired this article was a conversation I had with multiple freshmen about how they felt somewhat uncomfortable with the way Boston College seemingly marketed Welles Crowther’s memory to sell football tickets. The Red Bandana game is one of my favorite BC traditions. Every year, it makes me proud to go to a school that celebrates such a heroic alumni and brings joy to his family while doing so. Nevertheless, I couldn’t help but agree with this fresh perspective. When discussing this amongst other upperclassmen, I learned that this was an uneasy feeling many of us had felt but had been too afraid to even bring to the surface for fear of seeming like we were disrespecting a Boston College hero who died saving as many as eighteen people on September 11. However, disrespecting a national hero isn’t the purpose of this inquiry: part of our role as Americans inherently engaged in patriotic events and sentiments must be to question when institutions and individuals are using it for their own gain.
Upon further investigation, I realized that while BC advertises the Red Bandana 5K fundraiser for the Welles Remy Crowther Charitable Trust and that a “portion” of the Red Bandana merchandise goes to the trust, there is no indication where any profits BC made from the game go. There is little information on how much BC Football makes in profit, particularly per game, but, for context, BC Football is consistently ranked as the highest revenue sports program in Massachusetts, 33 million ahead of second place, UMass Amherst Football. For a game that regularly sells out Alumni Stadium’s 44,500 capacity and gets BC national television and media attention in honor of heroic alumni, it’s suspicious that none of what BC makes in profit goes to the Welles Crowther Trust or other charitable organizations. Even if BC doesn’t make a considerable profit from the game, there’s no doubt that the Red Bandana is a huge likeability booster, with viewers across America associating Boston College as a school curating “men and women for others” who have sacrificed their lives for their country. With this sentiment in mind, it should concern you that BC seemingly makes no effort not to profit from the event.
In America, evoking patriotic or nationalist sentiments for likeability and profit is unavoidable. Patriotism and national unity evoked by an event can be a great thing, but these glaring examples also make it clear that it is crucial to recognize when patriotism is abused. For the sake of those who have sacrificed their lives for fellow Americans, it is imperative we evaluate when their memory may be used in selfish ways.
insufferable poli sci major and opinions connoisseur
