AS A PEOPLE, we citizens of the USA no longer understand PATRIOTISM. I’s something, we argue about, but not something we can actually define; we don’t know how.
Is it blind loyalty to the USA? Is it unyielding opposition to anyone or any nation considered to be an enemy? Or something else?
Agan, we don’t seem to know, many if not most of us. On each side of the political spectrum, Democrat or Republican, we “believe” our candidate is the greater patriot. Take your pick. Donald or Kamala? The one most representative of the authentic patriot can be either, depending.
The rambling nature of my discourse also suggests that we no longer understand the meaning of patriotism. So, I feel compelled to affirm, it’s long past time for us to redefine what we claim to be a cornerstone of our democracy.
I begin with my own somewhat fumbling attempt to deal with the problem: A patriot is one who likes living in the USA.
As I said, I’m stumbling. Most USA citizens I’ve known, have liked where they’re living. They don’t want to move to another country or to anywhere else they can think of. Though we complain, "most" of us are pleased with where we live and have our being
But how much do we really like living in the USA? That causes us to stumble yet more, does it not? Enough might be the proper answer. For when is enough not enough? that is the question.
When we’re unwilling to die for our country? When we’re unwilling to pay our taxes? Or is it enough for us to be unwilling to surrender what we have?
Thus, I must clarify further: Is patriotism to believe passionately in our nation's historic values?
Aha! I’ve touched on another tender spot; some of us seem to think our country has ‘historic” value simply because it is where we were born or where our ancestors have lived for at least two generations. In other words, I am a true patriot because it has been where I or my ancestors have lived for a significant period of time.
But even to say patriotism is "historic" is misleading. A lot of things have been around for a good while, like drugs and overeating, yet we do not say these "staying arounds" have anything about them that is even remotely like patriotism.
So, I have arrived at my destination, to affirm what I believe patriotism to be in 2024.
Patriotism is to love the USA.
The true patriot loves America, while knowing all the while that it is not perfect, neither am I nor anyone else who lives in the USA. Still, we love it.
I am a patriot!
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