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Donald Trump playing dictator with tanks on the National Mall is a fine time to remember that militaristic pageantry has been a part of America for generations and is both ridiculous and dangerous.
Veterans fought wars so we wouldn't have to think about war, so we could live in peace in an open society. Celebrating the weapons of militarism and soldiers as instruments of death instead of citizens leads to more wars and actually diminishes their sacrifices.
My grandpa was a decorated war hero. He charged Nazi machine gun nests in Europe. He didn't want to watch war movies. He didn't want to see tanks in the streets. He wanted war to go away. He fought to make war go away.
The problem is that actual patriotism is complicated. It's about questioning history and precedent, it's about constant readjustment and improvement. These hollow faux-patriotic gestures, the flags and weapons and parades, are simple and instantly achievable.
If you want to celebrate patriotism, if you want to celebrate what our veterans earned us, engage in peaceful protest, assemble in a public place, question vigorously and openly about how to make the country better. Don't celebrate engineered weapons of death or military might.
