Horror Inherent: When Patriotism Turns Violent

June Issue, written by Jack Reigns

The Inherent Horror in Loving Your Country Too Much

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Ah, the fourth of July: BBQ, family, friends, fireworks. Social anxiety flares, dogs in a panicked state, some PTSD triggers, and unbridled patriotism. I want to put a disclaimer here; this article is not by any means anti-American. I like the country I live in, have had friends and family in the military, and happily pay my taxes to support society. If you’re looking for an anti-American rant, please look elsewhere. My focus today is on the inherent horror in what happens when patriotism turns to ultra-nationalism, and ultimately; to fascism, and how society has expressed the fear of that occurring.

In the George A. Romero film The Crazies (1973), members of society begin losing their minds, poisoned by an government created virus, and turn homicidally insane. A message scarily familiar to those of us who have watched friends and family deteriorate into hate-filled, violence-supporting strangers. All while claiming high levels of patriotism. A message seems to be spreading, much like the virus in the movie: If you’re not prepared for violence in your own neighborhood, then you aren’t a patriot. You want to know what scares me? Blind, inconsiderate, passionate allegiance to an imagined form of government, and the willingness for civilians to kill or maim friends, family, and neighbors to maintain that delusion.

What if one day your choice to have used a condom is considered being anti-American, as it does not support maintaining the natural born population of American citizens? How about if your past choice to have bought a Honda, Mazda, or Toyota now marks you as someone who does not support our society? A friend of mine and I were discussing how some other friends don’t support the recent restrictions placed on women making autonomous medical choices. However, those same men also don’t really care about the restrictions, as they figure it doesn’t affect them. “It makes sense to me,” my friend said. “They think they’ll never be affected by it, so why stick your neck out and take the risk?”

An interesting question: why stand up for someone else when you don’t see how it immediately affects you? The books 1984, and Fahrenheit 451 are the most famous works providing clues to what could happen when extreme patriotism develops into fascism. While some would argue that they’re solidly dystopian, I believe that dystopian is absolutely a horror subgenre. Subtext in both books includes discussion of standing up for things you may not care about, and what happens if you don’t care about restrictions placed on others. In books and movies like these, the message is always clear: failure to care about what happens to others means it is inevitable those injustices will one day be placed on you.

Lately, when I consume any form of zombie media, instead of comparing it to uncontrolled consumerism, I’m wondering how much it applies to mindless patriotism. I noticed that the hordes of violent, threatening beings are driven by primal urges similar to what humans resort to when feeling threatened. As much as the similarities were there, it didn’t feel quite accurate. Then I realized cults (!) are really the media representation of the fear of extreme nationalism which forces us into the role of the insurgent. The Wicker Man (2006) and Midsommar (2019) are some of the more famous cult movies, but I’d like to suggest consideration of movies and books which show blind allegiance to corrupt governments as a better representation of the cult mindset.

After the 2024 Met Gala, social media was flooded with images comparing the social event for the uber rich with scenes from the Hunger Games (2012) movies against recent media showing the situation in Palestine. The Purge (2013) might be the best subtle exploration on how governments can force their citizens to turn on each other in order to maintain power over them. The division of American society happening right now is an easy parable. Horror movies have never shied away from discussing class divide, but the divide we’re facing now often splits groups within the same social standing. It becomes much scarier when the “us vs. them” mentality is less clearly divided, and your enemy might be your next-door neighbor.

As we near the next election for the next U.S. president, I see constant reminders of that delusional brand of psychotic, violent imaginary patriotism which may have contributed to protesters storming the D.C. capitol building on January 6th, 2020, looking prepared to assault elected officials. The protests also resulted in multiple capitol police officers assaulted by the protesters, some of whom themselves were police officers in their home states. I wonder what went through the minds of those officers while watching their colleagues be assaulted? I wonder, did they participate in the assault?

Those that support the January 6th protestors claim they were only protesting what they consider to be a dishonest government. My response to that is there is nothing wrong with protesting. But a protest should not include the physical assault of anyone on either side. Peaceful protests are just as effective, if not more so, than resorting to violence. Add in civil disobedience and nonviolent resistance, and you have an effective recipe for creating change through protest.

Many seem to find it acceptable to use violent force against protesters they disagree with, while rallying in anger against force used against protesters they support. Watching my fellow Americans discuss the various protesters has instilled horror in me. Protesting doesn’t mean the protester is automatically right, but I will support any American’s right to disagree with the government. Several horror and dystopian movies have gone into detail about why punishing protesters pushes us further into the territory of fascist ideals.

Perhaps the most notable movie which includes horror and reflections on the government actions towards protesters is Punishment Park (1971), a film where protesters and activists are sent to a park where the goal is to cross a stretch of land and reach the American flag. Government employees then hunt the activists while they attempt to cross a barren desert.

The closest thing I can find to a mirror image of Punishment Park is The Hunt (2020), one of the few notable films which depicts conservative protesters as the victims, and who are hunted by liberal elites instead of the government. While Punishment Park is a several decade old film, it’s been suggested that The Hunt was attempting to capitalize on the current politically charged state in America, and for that reason many consider it to be distasteful. One review I found paints the movie as neutral satire, skewering both sides and suggests if we can’t come together to support the strong female lead (a beautiful, blonde, military-veteran, white woman), then we’re all lost.

I wonder how much the creation of a film suggesting the threat of political violence resulted in the increase in cases of politically motivated assault and murder committed over the past few years. Did the man who murdered his neighbor in Ohio during 2022, due to suspicions of the neighbors’ political standing, get inspired by ideas like in The Hunt? Or the murderer of ten Americans shopping for groceries in Buffalo, New York the same year, who left behind a strongly worded political manifesto? Is presumption of an aligned political party enough of a reason to kill our neighbors now? All in the name of an idealized America?

Many people mistakenly believe fascism died with Hitler. In addition to the fears modern day Americans have for the future of their country, there are reports that there are fascist movements growing around the world, not just within our own country.

I can see the appeal. These nostalgic ideas of extreme patriotism are rooted in the idea that things were better in an imagined past. That all our current problems result from some “other” group of people who threaten the comforts of our life and the sanctity of our faith. The ideals convey a misguided belief that if we just rid ourselves of this group or make them fall in line, all society’s problems will magically disappear. These ideals espouse morality, honor, and duty as aspirational traits, connecting with the hearts of anyone who considers themselves to be a moral, honorable, and hard-working person. A patriotic person, you might say.

So, what are the reasons to be afraid? Where is the inherent horror if you are already a moral, etc. person? What if one day you are the one not agreeing with those in power?

As an effort to push back against this growing rhetoric of championing violence against our neighbors, I’ve started to ask a lot of devil’s advocate questions when I come across someone pushing what I fear may be a hate-filled, potentially fascist narrative. What’s interesting is that when I speak to one of these extremely patriotic folks about the details, is that they start to understand the nuance and need for empathy on an individual basis, but still revert to hatred and supporting discrimination at the national level. Many people I discuss the topic with, point to the non-stop stream of terror-inciting entertainment coverage disguised as news, as the primary source of this rhetoric. However I think the root cause, and solution is more complex than simply turning off the television. It is time we refocus conversations to consider each other as human beings first, demographics second.

Horrifically, human beings are losing their rights across the nation, and this is absolutely a step towards becoming a fascist state. One of the primary features of a fascist state is the loss of individual identity, or actions that place the power of the government over the rights and best interests of the people. Many of those who supported governments which later became fascist, first supported the changes which they later came to suffer under. Changes which were engineered to sound like good, moral, patriotic things to support. When it feels like patriotism, how can the average American know if they are falling prey to the insidious spread of fascist ideals?

Here’s a quick quiz on whether your level of patriotism could be degrading into fascism: 1. Do you advocate for violence or death towards those who disagree with you politically? 2. If you disagree with local election results, do you think the answer is to prevent people who might disagree with you from voting in the future? 3. Do you believe members of the political party opposed to yours should be locked up without trial for the safety of the American People? If you answered yes to any of the above, you might be on your way to becoming a fascist.

Bringing this back to a horror slant, recently people have been comparing some political figures to cult leaders, and their followers as cults. I won’t do that here, but I will say I can see where their fear originates, and it is why extreme patriotism, or nationalism, concerns me so. The kind of extreme patriotism which terrifies me is the kind that says no one is better than my group in any way, regardless of facts or data. The kind that says there is only one way to live, and it is the way I say. The kind that says anyone who disagrees with me should be imprisoned or killed. A mindset that may be the antithesis of the original founding fathers’ intentions.

There’s many out there who claim to be patriots, and at the same time state the above opinions and others like them. It’s important to note that for these extreme patriots, these nationalists, their complaints go further than simple rules. The more extreme a person becomes, the more the rules expand into allowed religions and religious practices, into controlling what people are allowed to wear and say, and their procreational activities. The larger the movement grows, the more complicated the rules, all boiling down to the message of: you must look like, sound like, and live like us, or you are a traitor by definition.

There are several American horror and horror-adjacent movies depicting our government as the antagonist, where only extreme homogeneity is allowed. Stretching into the realms of Science Fiction and dystopia, you could include Cabin in The Woods (2011), Resident Evil (2002), Logan’s Run (1976), and Starship Troopers (1997). Fearing our government seems natural in a country that was founded based on rebellion from an authoritarian monarchy and partially for the purpose of religious freedom, so it makes sense we’ve been writing about it for a long time.

Religious rule terrifies both those who are not in a position to be revered, and those who are traditionally vilified by the dogmas taught. Many of us in the horror community have been unjustly treated by religious leaders in our lives. Those of us who have not suffered at the hands of religion are reasonably outraged at the treatment of others we have learned about. My own family was/is Catholic (depending on who you talk to), and I can’t tell you how proud I am of the actions of my father, once a devout Catholic himself. An avid reader (who accidentally hooked me onto Stephen King in third grade), he was so aghast at learning about Magdalene Laundries, and the treatment of North American indigenous people by the Catholic church, that the next time they came by to ask him to donate and renew his annual commitment to the church, he clipped out one of the articles he’d read, inserted it into the return envelope (postage already paid, tax exempt) and sent it back to the church. He never heard from them again.

Are you afraid of being forced into a religion other than one or none of your own personal choice? What do you think about our nation’s children reciting the Pledge of Allegiance (created in 1892), every day in class, including the words “Under God” (beginning in 1954), subtly implying that on some level, we all must be Christian to be patriots. Do you think it is right to force all American children to pray to the Christian God each day in school? Would your answer change if instead of God, the Pledge said under Yahweh? Allah? Vishnu? There are several million Americans, natural born Americans, who are given the message daily that they do not belong, are not and cannot be patriots, until their religion changes to the “correct” one. During my lifetime, the pressure has been subtle, and without written legal penalties for not complying. Many of the recent changes happening in America are not subtle. They are pointed and come with direct legal penalties for not complying. When this is allowed to happen in any part of America, it will continue to spread until you, too, may be forced to kneel under a new state religion.

At this time I’d like to throw in the exact wording from the first amendment of our constitution: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

How would you feel if one of our political parties laid out in detail, that upon their next victory they will eliminate any laws or regulations supporting equality, will imprison educators and community leaders who disagree with the ruling party, and cut off education funding to schools who do not agree with the ruling party? That they will eliminate funding for any government initiatives the party doesn’t agree with, will label any government employees of an opposing party to be enemies and have them fired or imprisoned?  That one single specific religion will dictate all government policy, eliminate civil rights established after the constitution originated, and grant absolute immunity to the leader of the ruling party?

Would you be concerned? Does it sound like an attempt to establish a fascist state? Are you inherently terrified? If you are, you should know that’s what one party has laid out publicly as their intentions should they win the next presidency. Those that support this plan believe the noose will never tighten enough for them to be caught in it. Many former supporters of fascist regimes can tell you; the noose catches us all in the end.

While there is plenty to fear in the current political climate of America, and there is certainly inherent horror in the possibility of ultra-patriotism begetting nationalism, begetting fascism, please remember: right now we still have more than one party. It is not illegal to disagree with the current ruling party and not illegal to vote against them, and we have not implemented labor or detention camps in the U.S. for American citizens who verbally disagree with the government.

This fourth of July, I hope you have a great time and the only horror you experience is the movie you put on after fireworks. I hope you hang out with friends and family and don’t get stressed out. I hope you revel in the great things our country has to offer, and feel proud of the contributions towards humanity America has made, like the moon landing and the creation of our amazing national parks. I hope too that if there’s anything you don’t like about our country, that you are planning on voting this and every November, because believe it or not, that is the best way to enact the changes you’d like to see.

My final thoughts on the matter are that if you, like me, consider yourself to be a patriot, then please spend some time getting to know your fellow Americans. Talk to your neighbors, especially the ones who look different from you. This is your call to action as an American patriot: learn how many of your neighbors are hard-working, moral, honorable folks just like you who only want to pay their bills and have a nice, boring life, or raise their kids in a safe neighborhood. Invite them to your backyard barbeque or bring something to theirs. You might make a new friend, feel safer in your neighborhood, or just have another ally in the militia should civil war break out.

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Further suggested books and movies:

• Enemy Mine (movie, 1985)

• The Left Hand of Darkness, by Ursula K Le Guin

• Snowpiercer (movie, 2013)

• Equilibrium (movie, 2002)

• A Clockwork Orange, by Anthony Burgess

• The Handmaids Tale, by Margaret Atwood

• The Girl with All the Gifts, by M. R. Carey

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More about the author:

Jack Reigns was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest but has lived and travelled all over the United States. A lifelong horror fan, as a child Jack would get in trouble for frightening family members with scary stories and is thankful to now share them with willing participants. Jack is  the author of The Reigns of Terror series of short horror collections, and available works can be found at jackreigns.com