Last night we went to the Jardin here in our Mexican home town and watched a laser light show on the beautiful old church. It is part of Mexico's 200th Anniversary of the Revolution and has lasers on four rooftops painting this structure. The scenic Disney-like church came alive with color and motion. One could almost imagine souls of revolutionary soldiers winging their way to heaven up the spires and after a great light show it ended with "Viva Mexico" written over the entrance to the Cathedral.

The excitement Mexicans show when "Viva Mexico" is sung, written or whatever is something to behold. They are so proud and patriotic. In the USA a similar phrase would have brought no response. What is wrong with our patriotism? Does it only exist after a 9/11 bombing?

Some sharp contrasts in attitudes between our cultures show up once in awhile and this one really got my attention. Poor and patriotic. Wonderful.

Well, I've certainly see loud cheering, waving of arms, and such when someone shouts "God bless America!". And that was even before 9/11. So I guess I disagree with ya.

And don't forget our own 200th birthday. The fervor lasted all of 1976. (ETA: and at least a year pre and post, too.)

The laser show does sound lovely.

Patriotism is so prevalent down here. There is a group of about ten musicians who travel the streets singing and playing Mexican folks songs. They are not mariachis. They will start in the City Center, Centro, and get a crowd following them and then walk throughout the area singing with their following crowd.

We happened upon them at Park Juarez and they were singing Viva la Mexico and the crowd was so animated yelling "Viva Mexico" when they got to that part.

It may simply be that the Mexican people are more likely to express emotion while Americans are more reserved. Whatever, when you are in this setting you almost yell Viva Mexico right along with them and then wonder why you don't do the same thing in your country.

Oh, I can see those types of differences. So many Americans come more from stereotypical English/German/Nordic roots that tend to be more reserved than the stereotypical Latin personalities.

But, gosh, when was the last time you saw any kind of singing group walking the streets playing any kind of music that resulted in a crowd following them and singing/cheering along?

It's just not the typical American style. Nothing to do with patriotism, methinks.

The only place a group could find a crowd would be in Walmart. That probably wouldn't work, would it.

Ferris Bueller's Day Off ?

I love e ferris reference, makes me want to twist and shout.

I'm assuming if the U.S. Was to try to do anything patriotic it would go something like this:

15000 people would post how stupid and how much they hated the video.
Blogs would argue endlessly how the meaning and symbolism didn't mean what everyone else on Earth knew the symbolism to mean.
On those same blogs discussions would follow regarding the committee's bus use.
People would complain that someone wanted to sing (or speak) in Spanish, instend of what I recently heard at our local Home Depot, "Why don't they speak American?"

Any other ideas?

He's a righteous dude.