Best Defense

Thomas E. Ricks' daily take on national security.

A new American patriotism?

I recently was walking along 4th Avenue in Brooklyn when I saw this graffiti on the plywood of a vacant storefront: "OBAMA: SIGNED SEALED DELIVERED." Just to the left, in the same white paint, was written, "God Bless America." I grew up just outside New York and can’t remember seeing a lot of stuff like ...

I recently was walking along 4th Avenue in Brooklyn when I saw this graffiti on the plywood of a vacant storefront: "OBAMA: SIGNED SEALED DELIVERED." Just to the left, in the same white paint, was written, "God Bless America." I grew up just outside New York and can't remember seeing a lot of stuff like that there in the '60s and '70s. It felt good.

I recently was walking along 4th Avenue in Brooklyn when I saw this graffiti on the plywood of a vacant storefront: "OBAMA: SIGNED SEALED DELIVERED." Just to the left, in the same white paint, was written, "God Bless America." I grew up just outside New York and can’t remember seeing a lot of stuff like that there in the ’60s and ’70s. It felt good.

On the downside, I have been worried by the tone of the some of the right-wing e-mail I get that raise the possibility of violently opposing the new administration. For example, "We are resisting, come join us. … It is so far peaceful, and hope it stays that way. … [But] We shall not peacefully give up our guns."

Thomas E. Ricks covered the U.S. military from 1991 to 2008 for the Wall Street Journal and then the Washington Post. He can be reached at ricksblogcomment@gmail.com. Twitter: @tomricks1

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