The True Meaning of Patriotism

I agree with the statement: An American Patriot Does Not Defend Land nor Government, It Defends The People's Liberty!

100%

And now we have those in power who trample on our liberties just like they did our flag in the past.

You can ask any of these kids here on current what America stands for- they'll feed you all the crap that America is repressive, Columbus was evil, we enslaved Indians and destroyed their culture, etc. etc. These poor kids leave the safety net of Mom & Dad, go to college, and get indoctrinated in Marxism by a professor who spit on returning Vietnam vets when he was in his teens. It seems to take a military veteran to tell you what patriotism means- I can tell you, when I stood on my ship sailing down the Kiel canal in Germany, my heart was bursting with pride! When a Peruvian ship passed by, the crew was going completely apeshit- you'd have to be a patriot to understand why- we represent freedom and liberty for the oppressed. Yes, we have oppressed others in our journey as Americans, but that does not detract from the fact that we are still a great nation, despite what our president may say. I talk to my great uncle Lenny, who served in the Ardennes as an 19 year old tank driver- I am proud to be an American, and I have undying gratitude for those like him who served, and did their duty- ordinary, everyday heroes. Patriotism means going deeper than sticking an American flag sticker on your car- it comes from deep within, and often, it grows deeper as you see God's blessings upon this country. It is no secret that we grew into a great nation because we were blessed by God, although many folks will challenge that, saying God had nothing to do with it. Being a patriot means never having to apologize for your country, never apologizing for being an American, and giving thanks to God for blessing it. As Merle Haggard sang "I read about some squirrely guy who says that he just don't belive in fightin', and I wonder just how long, the rest of us can count on being free....When you're runnin' down our country, Hoss, you're walking on the fightin' side of me..." Love it or leave it. No apologies from me- I am an American, and my pride runs deep.

It's my opinion that Mr.Reed has the right of it. I think that most Americans feel patriotism to one degree or another. But for me, the most striking example are the men & women that wear our countries uniform.

We have no draft. These people are all volunteers. Young men and women who sign up to put their life on the line during an unpopular war. That takes a degree of doing. Even more so in THIS particular war when we have so many reservists, middle age married folks with kids, that have answered the call.

While they may not agree with the reasons we ended up in Iraq and Afgan, they went because of patriotism. Service to their country. I have nothing but the up most respect for each and every one. From Valley Forge, the world wars, Korea, Viet Nam, to the ones we're engaged in now; American citizens have fought for freedom.

It's worth fighting for.

One does not need to be in the military to be a patriot.

Not all who oppose war oppose the military, in fact i would venture to guess that most who have done so, now and in the past, for the soldiers that they know and love, the ones that are their brothers, fathers, husbands, and sons, and now those who may also be their wives, mothers, or daughters. when you have leaders in power who misuse and abuse their power and the trust of those who serve to defend our great nation in order to further their own agendas, (i.e. halliburton , the carlyle group) for reasons no deeper than simple greed, then it is absolutely an American's patriotic duty to oppose the war, and those who have started it.

@unclecharlie, not all of us "kids" are marxist dissidents.

a famous patriot once had something to say about war.

"There has never been a good war, or a bad peace."
-Benjamin Franklin

A patriot sometimes fights with the pen, and not the sword.

And the poor and minorities volunteer in a much greater percentage because, well, they are poor and minorities and the chance of getting your ass shot off in Iraq seems more remote then the inescapable poverty and violence that they experienced in civilian life.

Hate will only produce more hate, war is no resolvement, it only leaves dull blood on the hands who won it...

That was one darn good Scottish quote.

That's an awful big scoop you're shoveling those bull pies with, Mr. Reed. If we need any further proof that Libertarins are just frustrated Republicans here it is. Anyone remember Sarah judging who is American and who isn't, because of what they think or how they think it? I'm grateful for those who fought and died in the Revolutionary War. Just as I'm grateful for those that have served at any time since then. I think I'll leave it up to the indivdual to define their own idea of patriotism. But thank you for the jingoistic article just the same.

Our founding fathers never envisioned a standing Army for America, only a militia was thought to be needed. They believed standing Army's only enforced the need for power by kings and monarchs. They would be turning over in their graves to see how American Imperialism has put our great country in the greatest danger the union has ever seen. It takes a big country to admit it's mistakes of past, and I am proud that I live in that great country. If someone has to be told that torture is unamerican then that person is not a patriot.
General Washington who became America's first President was well aware of what torture did to a country's soul and ordered his soldiers not to torture and to treat the prisoners with respect. So those who are blithering how patriotic they are but stand on the side of recent torturers in our history are going against the country's founding fathers and the country's soul. Quit pretending to be patriotic, your not.

I think you will find many Democrats believe in what I said. These days of our new beginning will take a long time but the sooner we can choke the life stealing military industrial complex to death the better we all will be. Coming to an agreement on what needs to be in the good of the commons is another story. But that damn military complex, the answer was right in front of us on 911, when leading up to that date how many trillions of tax dollars were wasted on defense when supposedly somebody in a cave caused the biggest terrorist act in American history. We have been robbed over and over again of our childrens future with this military madness. We must stop the insanity!

A true patriot protects his Country from it's Government.

I am an american patriot I was taught by my mom to not judge people by thier race, religions or disabilitys I agree with the article I'm against the war but only because every couple of months my uncle has to go off to iraq a war we shouldnt had been in in the first place.

I have adhered to the definition of patriotism as provided by former Interior Secretary Carl Schurz, a Civil War general and US Senator who took on the faux-patriotic sentiments of the time.

From his speech in 1913:
"I confidently trust that the American people will prove themselves … too wise not to detect the false pride or the dangerous ambitions or the selfish schemes which so often hide themselves under that deceptive cry of mock patriotism: 'Our country, right or wrong!' They will not fail to recognize that our dignity, our free institutions and the peace and welfare of this and coming generations of Americans will be secure only as we cling to the watchword of true patriotism: 'Our country—when right to be kept right; when wrong to be put right.'"

Heroism on command, senseless violence, and all the loathsome nonsense that goes by the name of patriotism -- how passionately I hate them!continually find myself quoting Einstein on this forum.

Non-interventionism was the foreign policy ideal of the Founding Fathers, an ideal that is ignored by both political parties today. Those who support political and military intervention in Iraq and elsewhere should have the integrity to admit that their views conflict with the principles of our nation's founding. It's easy to repeat the tired cliché that "times have changed since the Constitution was written" – in fact, that's an argument the left has used for decades to justify an unconstitutional welfare state. Yet if we accept this argument, what other principles from the founding era should we discard? Should we reject federalism? Habeas corpus? How about the Second Amendment? The principle of limited government enshrined in the Constitution – limited government in both domestic and foreign affairs – has not changed over time. What has changed is our willingness to ignore that principle.

One of my favorite American Classic Movies of all time is a Gary Cooper movie entitled "Unconquered" At the end of this movie you see something which was not uncommon in those days before TV. They added a patriotic quote to remind movie goers of their American heritage. That is they used the movies as education. The outgoing Supreme Court Justice David Souter is from New Hampshire, one of the States of the American Revolution. He commented that we are loosing our Liberty to erosion because citizens have become ignorant and apathetic to defending each other's civil liberties as if it were their own, like the Golden Rule would have it. Anyway at the end of the movie, Gary Cooper and Paulette
Goddard enter a room, and before they kiss, they close the door to get some privacy. On the door isn't
a sign saying The End. Duh. Any fool would know that.
It cites a quote from William Penn who got the land grant from the King of England to settle colonists there in what was to become known as Penn's Woods
or Pennsylvania in Latin. His motto was "Where ever
Liberty dwells, there is my Country" Note they didn't cite where ever as one unspecified place as if it were a location. Penn meant it as a constancy of being as in forever in Time itself. Albert Einstein would have
liked to have known William Penn, I think. His very enlightened quote which starts with "If I give you a pfennig(penny)..." would be in accordance with the
beliefs of both. That Liberty is sacred.

How incredibly arrogant to think your patriotism is the right form. Phenomenal arrogance.

This is what patriotism means to me. The ideas of freedom. Personal and economic freedom and the right for all Americans to pursue their destiny as they see fit without government interference. These are ideas worth being Patriotic about. Great article if it just means that patriotism should be an ideal not a mindless unquestioning fawning love of a country but something deeper a true love, warts and all. :)

Sorry, but I don't care much for freedom. I prefer happiness. If a country's people are happy, then it's a success by my standards.

I am faithful to the ideals set forth by the founding fathers..not any particular group of people setting in the seats of power. Vietnam taught me all I needed to know about the abuse of power.