Patriotism; Let’s Get Something Straight

The vast majority of Americans are patriots.  This includes Democrats, Independents, and Republicans.  It includes White, Black, Hispanic, Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, and Christian Americans.  Patriotism is not the exclusive domain of any one party or group.  I would easily state that 99% of all Americans are patriots.  No, that is not the result of some scientific study; I just pulled that number out of my ass since that’s where we seem to get our statistics these days.

From Wikipedia: Patriotism is the feeling of love, devotion, and sense of attachment to a homeland and alliance with other citizens who share the same sentiment.  This attachment can be a combination of many different feelings relating to one's own homeland, including ethnic, cultural, political, or historical aspects.

It is a common occurrence these days that someone tries to make a point by claiming that he or she is a patriot and anyone with a differing opinion is some sort of traitor to our country.  Wrapping yourself in the American flag to make your opinion more valid is a sign of weakness.  I don’t know Colin Kaepernick, but I won’t question his patriotism for kneeling during the national anthem to protest police brutality and racial inequality.  I will question his judgment for the method he chose, but I won’t use this one act to question his loyalty to this country.

I, as a matter of choice, have an American flag mounted on my house.  I served four years in the U.S. Navy and still get goosebumps when I hear our national anthem.  None of this makes me more patriotic than any of my neighbors, many of whom were born in other countries.  I love my country but still, feel free to question its direction.  I find this questioning of national direction especially important at times like these.  National leaders who side with despots traditionally identified as our enemies should always be questioned as to their motivation.  Our moral compass should guide us along our path, not some blind allegiance viewed through red, white, and blue colored glasses.  Our patriotism should recognize the patriotic feelings of other nations and at least be tolerant or considerate of other views.

Today, an extreme form of nationalism, polluted with ethnic prejudice, xenophobia, homophobia, and religious bigotry, has been given solace by a supportive or otherwise motivated leadership.  An often hidden minority has found a new bravado in the infamous quote, “you also had people that were very fine people, on both sides,” in response to the violent protests in Charlottesville, Virginia.  Whatever our president may have meant by that statement, it was read by many as support for some of the “very fine” neo-Nazis.

Patriotism should not be defined by unwavering support for any single value plucked from our constitution.  Our patriotism should include support for the general values expressed in the sentiments of our origin documents, and that support should be tempered with an attitude of civility as we evolve as a more tolerant nation.  We should remember that fourteen of the twenty-one prominent Founding Fathers were slaveholders at some point in time.  Also among our Founding Fathers, while the majority would normally be identified as “Christians,” a large group advocated the Enlightenment religion of nature and reason known as Deism, or they were at least influenced by that rejection of the miracles and supernaturalism associated with traditional Judeo-Christian beliefs.

Slaveholders amongst our Founding Fathers

This statue of Justitia is displayed outside the Court of
Last Appeal, in Hong Kong.
She is a depiction of Roman art common since the 8th of January, 13 BC 

Patriotism and loyalty to our country is not that simple.  Blind nationalism should not be confused with patriotism.  Many totalitarian and authoritarian regimes from world history were founded in blind nationalism.  Adolph Hitler used blind nationalism to promote his Nazi regime.  True patriots should always want what is best for their country and questioning the direction of our leaders when our national ideals are being violated, is not unpatriotic; justice should be blind, patriotism should not.