NORTH
C O A S T T IM E S
E A G L E , JULY 2005
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THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE THREAT OF PATRIOTISM
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WORDS & PHOTOGRAPHS BY DALE T. STROUSE
The images on these pages symbolize a dilemma we all face when one group
of people uses the call of patriotism as a threat against those who express dissent.
I am speaking of the “You’re either with us or you’re against us” ideology. For instance,
those who speak out against war risk being accused of not supporting troops. Broadly
unpopular policies pursued in the name of patriotism, both historic and recent, corrupt
and degrade the image of what our flag symbolizes, not only at home but abroad.
The attitude of “My country, right or wrong" places a threatening barrier between many
groups of Americans who may otherwise share common goals and aspirations for their
country.
Since it is the most common symbol of patriotism, I used the flag and placed it
in different visual contexts to express how patriotism, when used as a threat, can corrupt
the symbol of our flag, and could come to represent something entirely different than
what it should. Using 4 x 5 Polaroid materials, I drew upon themes of possession,
confinement, separation, danger and intimidation to highlight this concept. In developing
these themes I consciously tried to avoid “shock value” in my images. It was not my
intent to offend, but to tread a balance of making images that would evoke thought from
all political persuasions.
Patriotism does not equal blind obedience. It should never be used as a club to
beat down those who have an opinion different from that of the masses. True Patriots
speak out for what they believe in, they stand up against what they believe is wrong To
use patriotism as a threat against those who dissent can have severe, unwanted and
unintended consequences. One of those consequences is that we all become less free
As the old saying goes, “Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel."
Dale Strouse was bom in Quantico, Virginia. He received a student grant while in high
school to take a college art class for a summer and chose black and white photography. This
class sparked a lifelong passion, he says; he graduated from college as a biology major and then
worked as a carpenter for ten years but has stayed active as a freelance photographer “I love
making photographs, all types o f photographs," he says. His work is varied and not limited to a
particular genre: “I shoot urban landscapes, large format wilderness landscapes, still life compo
sitions and I often work with Polaroid materials. ” He has been photographing for more than 30
years, exhibiting on the East Coast and the Pacific Northwest. He lives in Vancouver, Washington
and teaches workshops on “The Fine Print" at the Newspace in Portland
The photographs on these pages are on re-display at the Riversea Gallery in Astoria in
tandem with their appearance in this issue of the Times Eagle.