Love of Country, Within Reason (and a Big Nutcracker)

“A Minnesota town now boasts the world’s tallest nutcracker“
Sarah Raza, AP (July 18, 2026)

“Crossing the open farmland of southwestern Minnesota, you’ll encounter an otherworldly sight: a massive head with a beard, mustache and red-striped top hat looming over the horizon.

Pull into the small town of Luverne and the figure — a nearly 66-foot (20-meter) tall nutcracker, decked out like Uncle Sam — comes into full view….”

I’ve never been to Luverne, Minnesota, and will probably never go there.

But I’ve seen other oversize statues in my home state: Rothsay’s prairie chicken, Alexandria’s viking, Paul Bunyan in Bemidji, Belgrade’s crow, and “Pelican Pete: World’s Largest Pelican” in Pelican Rapids.

One of these days I may talk about roadside attractions in the Midwest. But not today.

Uncle Sam, Roadside Attractions, and Love of Country

I enjoyed reading about Luverne’s new roadside attraction, but that’s not the only possible response to that statue of Uncle Sam in the form of a nutcracker.

Given a running start, I could rant about the crass commercialism displayed Luverne’s whacking great nutcracker — the AP article mentions a “quirky rock shop in the town’s center” — or denounce it as the abomination of desolation, a graven image defiling our fair land.

Now that I think about it, I don’t recall any rabid radio preacher of my youth calling on his followers to fear and revile roadside attractions.

Not sure why. Maybe because the things are deeply embedded in the regional culture, and that’s another topic or two.

Luverne’s new attraction doesn’t upset me, so I won’t rant or rave about it.

But I will admit that I like it; partly because I like kitsch, partly because I like memories associated with roadside attractions, and partly because I enjoy seeing this latest sign of at least latent patriotism.

About that: I like being an American, and love this country.

I’d better clarify that.

Honor, Affection, and Gratitude: Within Reason

Loving my country doesn’t mean I think America can do no wrong, or that everyone who’s not American is out to get me. Life isn’t that simple

Loving my country doesn’t mean that I get warm fuzzies each time each time I see the colors red, white, and blue.

It does mean that I see my country with honor, affection, and gratitude: within reason. Since I’m a Catholic, I’d better. It’s part of my faith, an extension of sorts to my family obligations. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2199)

• “Veterans Day and Patriotism” (November 11, 2025)
  • Love of Country, Yes; Worship of Country, No
  • Freedom, Responsibility, and Other Inconveniences
• “Voting As If What I Believe Matters” (October 26, 2024)
  • Obligations