How does patriotic music affect you?

We're in that period between Memorial Day and the 4th of July and there's quite a lot of patriotic music in the air. I think it evokes mixed feelings in lots of people. I personally have lots of happy memories from childhood of singing"You're a Grand Old Flag" and "I'm a Yankee Doodle Dandy." Since my childhood in the 50's have come several very controversial wars, including the Vietnam War, Desert Storm, and the current Iraqi Conflict. I can't think of many memorable songs associated with these wars but I'm sure some must exist. I have peers who were furiously against the Vietnam war and when I hear some of the 60's songs about peace and freedom it's hard not to think of them and their outrage.

I'm trying to make a conscious effect to look deeper into my feelings when I hear "patriotic music." I don't want to just sing these songs out of rote memory. I want to really think about them and decide if this is what I believe today. Somehow I think that the songs my father taught me from World War II were probably more honorable and noble. I'm not so sure about the wars since then. What do you think?