Defining Patriotism

Patriotism. 

These days, in this country, it seems like a loaded word. For me personally, my patriotism has shifted a lot through the years, but I do not consider it any weaker. When I was younger it was more a movie version, America was always the good guy, taking out the bad guy, helping the oppressed. Using its military might to maintain a peaceful world. 

In my adulthood Patriotism is certainly much less black and white. I find, now, one of the most important aspects of patriotism is using your freedoms to improve and build upon the foundations that were constructed so long ago. More recently, it has become truly processing the atrocities committed by this country. Atrocities is a strong word, but there is really no other way to define certain points in our history. 

Clearly, I was not unaware of slavery, genocide of the native people, internment camps of WWII, and the historical institutional racism that went along with all of those acts. When I was younger, I excused those acts with simple thoughts such as “no powerful country is innocent of those acts”, but that is the rationale of a child, using others to excuse our own actions shifts responsibility. 

Clearly I never owned a slave, I did not live through the civil rights movement, I did not contribute to the removal and slaughter of the native people from the lands to develop our own society, but those acts unquestionably shaped the country in which I live now, they contribute to the wealth from which I benefit. 

Patriotism, clearly, is defined very differently by different people.  Love of anything means accepting every aspect of that entity, both the good and the bad and the in between. But the difference in this relationship is we, as citizens, have every right to work toward fixing the negative aspects. I find that there are many that prefer to focus only on the good. “Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”, are considered “unalienable rights”, but we would be remiss if we did not acknowledge that the man that wrote these words in our Declaration of Independence owned 600 slaves throughout his life (1). However, he called slavery a “moral depravity” and a “hideous blot” (2). 

Many of the early founders fought against the institution of slavery, however four out of our first five presidents were slave holders. In total, 12 of our 45 presents were slave holders at some point in their lives (3). More recently, African American soldiers were excluded from the benefits of the WWII G.I. Bill (4) African Americans were excluded from many of the economic benefits of the New Deal (5)

So often today we hear the tearing down of various monuments and statues erases history, but I would say a larger inhibitor of many learning our history is their unwillingness to accept those aspects that interfere with their brand of patriotism. The brand that is unwilling to accept America as anything but an institutional beacon of freedom and hope. 

Our founding fathers were incredibly intelligent men, and as I said, many never owned slaves and worked towards its abolition. The good in our country does come from much of the foundation laid by those men, but we must accept the evil acts that many of those found a way to justify if we are to stand on that foundation. We must accept that no women or people of color were included in the drafting of any of our original documents. 

Today, we must accept that we’ve reached yet another pinnacle where more people must be included on the foundation. What is important to understand is that such pinnacles are never easy moments in history. Often, they include difficult debates about who we are and who we want to be going forward. Often, they will include regrettable violence and destruction. The aspects of such pinnacles are not always the same through history, but what is consistent is that history will judge them, and at every point until now history has sided with those seeking more inclusion in the “life, liberty and pursuit of happiness” that was promised by our founders. 

This brings us to our current President. On Friday, in front of Mount Rushmore, the President said the following “There is a new far-left fascism that demands absolute allegiance… this left-wing cultural revolution is designed to overthrow the American revolution”. So, like many that has resisted the increased inclusion through history, he painted it as a binary choice. Either you’re with America or you’re against it. Largely, this has always been his political strategy, hyperbole and division, “us vs them”.

For many, he has successfully painted himself as the definition of American Patriotism. That any dissent against him is dissent against America. The main problem with this notion is that the “American Revolution” is in fact on going, and no one man gets to define what it means. The problem is that American dissent is Patriotic.

This brings me to the “good” in my definition of Patriotism. Right now, America is showing the world why it’s great, that it can stand up to an American President so desperate to keep people excluded. This exclusion is based on any arbitrary criteria that he, or some to which he seeks admiration, sees fit. Many have defined the revolution toward inclusion as “Cancel Culture”. 

Now there may be situations where efforts towards inclusion are excessive, where the pendulum swings too far the other way, as I said, pinnacles are never easy moments. These moves will never be perfect, the debates are difficult, but the ongoing American Revolution never was meant to be easy. “A more perfect union” will never be perfect. 

I personally, will never discredit someone who wishes to participate in the debate as long as they debate in good faith. President’s Trump constant hyperbole adds nothing of value to the debate, but at the same time it has woken the sleeping giant that is the American Revolution. This country is showing why the American people will always be more powerful than its government, despite his efforts. It has shown why America is still a great country despite some of the evil acts of its past, and even some of its present. 

As we move forward through these difficult times it is critical for all of us to remember that we are not our elected officials. Many of my more liberal friends will say President Trump “is not my President”, I will disagree. He was legitimately elected in 2016, and he will remain my President until the end of his term. The benefit to this is I am free to critique how immeasurably he has failed as a leader, how his only concern is his own benefit, and how I believe that division will only work as a political ally in America for so long. 

I look forward to better times ahead, I look forward to contributing to the American promise as much as I am able, and I look forward to more and more people remembering that our elected officials do not get to dictate how we treat one another as citizens.

Happy Independence Day. 

(1)    Slavery FAQs – Property - https://www.monticello.org/slavery/slavery-faqs/property/

(2)    Jefferson & Slavery - https://www.monticello.org/thomas-jefferson/jefferson-slavery/

(3)    How Many U.S. Presidents Owned Enslaved People? - https://www.history.com/news/how-many-u-s-presidents-owned-slaves

(4)    How the GI Bill's Promise Was Denied to a Million Black WWII Veteran  - https://www.history.com/news/gi-bill-black-wwii-veterans-benefits

(5)    FDR and The New Deal - https://www.pbs.org/tpt/slavery-by-another-name/themes/fdr/