By Bill Alexander
On a trip to Boston over “labor” day weekend, my Canadian accomplice and I found ourselves invading foreign highways south of the border.
Driving down the Interstate, our twinkling tourist eyes were bombarded by what seemed to be an exclusively American phenomenon. It seemed that every second car on the road was sporting a distracting yet entertaining decoration, the likes of which I have rarely – if ever – seen in Canada: political bumper stickers.
Maybe this is not the most mind-boggling observation you have heard this week, but bear with me. After crossing the border into the good ‘ol U.S. of A, I was immediately taken aback by the vast number of political bumper stickers on the roads. “Vote Kerry,” “Vote Bush,” “Support Our Troops,” “God Bless America.” Everywhere I looked, these political statements were there, reminding me that I was no longer in the land of the maple-glazed.
The idea of America as a bumper sticker culture is puzzling. What is it about the place that makes its citizens want to advertise their beliefs on the back of a vehicle? And more puzzling still: why don’t Canadians participate in this? Are our neighbours to the south more engaged in the political process than we are?
These questions ran through my head for days after having retreated back to my own country, until I began looking at the situation in a different light. It seems to me now that this cultural discrepancy has less to do with politics and more to do with plain old patriotism. Americans are not simply advertising who they want to see as their next president, or whether or not they support the war in Iraq; they are advertising their romance with their country. They are showing their fellow American motorists that they are proud of the United States and where it is headed, and are marketing that mentality to others.
Perhaps bumper stickers are just one way for Americans to show everyone around them that they care. It is a way for them to visually express their personalities and encourage a like-minded camaraderie. Would you want to be the only one on your block without a George W. Bush bumper sticker and risk not being invited to the neighbourhood barbecue?
Bumper stickers become a way for Americans to advertise their affection, allowing their patriotism to be worn on their sleeves. Maybe they feel the need to stand up for a country that is undergoing such harsh international criticism, or maybe they just think they are better than everyone else.
So what if the most patriotic thing I have done this year is wait in line for 20 minutes to get a Tim Hortons coffee. As Canadians, we embrace our diversity. We do not need to overly advertise our patriotism, political involvement or ideals. And besides, my wait seems more patriotic to me than a “God Bless America” sticker on a European bumper.
In any event, Americans need to focus more time on proving themselves to be a positive force in this world and less time proving themselves to . . . themselves.