I’m about to go on a rant. I may be the only one who’s bothered by this, but watching TV last night, I saw a commercial that I’ve seen many times before. But this time, I've reached my limit, and I have to speak out about it. I know this rant is going to infuriate some and perhaps amuse others, but once those who get upset take a moment to think about it, they’ll realize I’m right.

Here goes… I am sick and tired of advertisers using the word patriot to sell their product!

I consume a lot of news. I watch local broadcast news, cable news, online news stories, and satellite news and talk stations in my car. It seems like every third ad has Patriot somewhere in the name.

Whether they are selling generators or freeze-dried emergency food supplies that will last in your basement for 25 years, these are the products patriots need to buy.

Go to Amazon.com and type the word “patriot” in the search engine. You will find over 4000 products with patriot in the name. Clothing, books, movies - you can even buy a patriot electric fence or a patriot cremation urn. They are all marketed by and for patriots.

They all give the same impression. By having patriot in the name, it’s a tough product made for tough people. But putting red, white, and blue mudflaps on your pickup truck doesn’t make you any more of a patriot than the nuns protesting the country’s immigration policies, or the volunteers at a homeless shelter.

A patriot is a person who goes to the polls as an educated voter. A patriot is a person who went down to Texas to help search for victims of the flood or feed those who were searching.

Patriots come in all shapes and sizes, all ages, economic statuses, ethnicities, colors, and creeds.

But when I see these ads for the products, I never see all those other patriotic Americans represented. The ads all show white, middle-class, predominantly male consumers between the ages of 25-49.

Maybe I’m being too sensitive here, but I consider myself to be a patriot. Just not the definition these marketers use. They have co-opted the word to make it seem like it’s their own special club and the rest of us aren’t invited. I love this country and consider myself to be a patriot, even though I don’t love a lot of what we’re doing right now.

I don’t need to wear a red, white, and blue Hawaiian shirt or use a certain cell phone carrier to prove my patriotism.

And while I’m on this rant, I feel the same way when I see the Christian fish being used to sell a product. Now, don’t get me wrong, I respect every person’s faith, and I would hope that they respect mine, but I honestly don’t think Jesus gives a damn what plumber I use.

I know that in the land of the free, these businesses are free to promote themselves as they choose, and I would be up in arms if any administration told them they couldn’t. I realize that no matter what someone is selling, whether it’s automobiles, cheeseburgers, or erectile dysfunction medicine, every ad is targeted to a specific audience. Using the flag or the fish to reach a certain consumer is no different.

But for some reason, this really bugs me. Maybe it’s because I feel like it’s meant to take ownership of a title that should belong to every American, regardless of their political positions or individual religious beliefs.

Oh, and one more thing. More often than not, they are using their patriotism to sell doom and gloom. I’m going to take my chances and not buy their generators, prepper food, or gold coins to protect me from a nuclear holocaust or Armageddon.

But I am going to show my patriotism by continuing to speak out about the injustices I see going on. I will work towards condemning our current immigration policy. I will not be quiet about taking health and food assistance benefits from the working poor. I will study every candidate and issue before I vote.

Because these are the things I believe a patriot should do.

There, I feel much better now. But I’ll probably scream at the radio the next time I hear an ad for some chainsaw made just for patriots.

Tom Becka is a long time Nebraska broadcaster who for over 30 years has been covering Omaha and Midwest issues on both radio and TV. He has been a guest on numerous national cable and news shows, filled in for nationally syndicated talk radio programs and Talkers Magazine has recognized him as one of the Top 100 talk show hosts in the country 10 times. Never afraid to ruffle some feathers, his ‘Becka’s Beat’ commentaries can be found online on Youtube and other digital platforms.

Opinions expressed by columnists in The Daily Record are not necessarily those of its management or staff, and do not constitute an endorsement or recommendation. Any errors or omissions should be called to our attention so that they may be corrected. Contact us at news@omahadailyrecord.com.