What does it mean to be patriotic?
Surely patriotism involves some element of loyalty to one's country, a willingness to contribute to the country, to sacrifice for the country and not merely take from it. As JFK famously said, "Ask not . . . . " A soldier who gives his or her life for America performs the ultimate act of patriotism.
What does it mean to be unpatriotic? Certainly spying against America on behalf of a foreign county is unpatriotic. Giving up one's citizenship for mammon is unpatriotic.
And favoring the dissolution of America itself is unpatriotic. Had the Confederacy had its way, the Apollo moon missions would have been launched from a foreign country, Coca-Cola would be an imported beverage, and Elvis would have been part of the Southern Invasion years before the Beatles began the British Invasion.
Conservatives, who are more apt to view secession favorably than the rest of us, are by definition less patriotic than we are. They hate to hear it, but it's true in that fundamental, definitional sense.
Next time some crazy right wing nutjob brings up secession, remind them that you're a patriot and they are not.