I have wondered for some time what patriotism means to people. Based on the political ideology of the right I’m afraid many people do not understand the meaning of true patriotism any more. Many people feel it is a lapel pin. Obama once said he stopped wearing a lapel pin of the flag because, “it has become a substitute for “true patriotism.” Of course the supposed patriotic populous had a snit fit over this. Regarding flag burning, Andrew Shepard, the fake president of the movie “The American President” said, “You want free speech? Let’s see you acknowledge a man whose words make your blood boil, who’s standing center stage and advocating at the top of his lungs that which you would spend a lifetime opposing at the top of yours.” You want to claim this land as the land of the free? Then the symbol of your country cannot just be a flag. The symbol also has to be one of its citizens exercising his right to burn that flag in protest. Now show me that, defend that, celebrate that in your classrooms. When it comes to art, the Dixie Chicks almost had their careers ruined because they criticized fellow Texan President Bush. True patriotism is not a lapel pin, or no-burning flag, or a song. Even though Lee Greenwood wrote maybe the worst patriotic song of all-time with “I’m proud to be an American.” At least he knows he’s free … unless he was a slave, smoked some pot, or happened to be a minority in which case he may not be free.
I finally decided to post about patriotism after reading a post by a friend Philip LaVane Meier, http://basileus99.tumblr.com/. He said,
I grow weary of people spouting off with “If you don’t like it then just leave!” in response to criticism over the actions of our government and politicians. A while back, there was another group of people who were fed up with the way the government at the time was behaving. They didn’t “just leave”. They fought back. They made their voices heard and when that didn’t work they fought back with force. Speaking up and condemning the actions of a corrupt and evil system is not un-American. Speaking up and fighting back is exactly what we celebrate every single year on the 4th of July. The day we celebrate claiming our independence from corruption and tyranny. Well my friends, corruption and tyrrany again rear their ugly heads. You can call me un-American all you want, but I will not “just leave”. I will not be silent. I will speak up. I will fight back. Any decent person who loves their home can do no less.
I agree. The act of criticizing our country when it is wrong is not an act of treason, it is a necessary component of our democracy. In fact it is our duty and one of the most patriotic acts one can participate in.
Ron Paul said, “Real patriotism is a willingness to challenge the government when it’s wrong.”
Republicans tend to attack government but not in a way that’s helpful. They believe we should do away with government regulations, social programs, and public education. They want to shrink the government. The problem isn’t the size of our government it’s the quality. When you have a Supreme Court that believes racism is a thing of the past and corporations are people you are doomed to have an unfair system. We need to change the system and change comes from those willing to stand up and say, “this is wrong.”
Real patriots are the ones willing to rock the boat. They are the revolutionaries. I urge all American’s to question our government and work towards change when needed. Don’t become discouraged when others question your love of country. Be safe in the knowledge that you are engaging in the highest form of patriotism. Remember, America is made up of people.
“No man is good enough to govern another man without the other’s consent.” Abraham Lincoln