A Patriot Is Neither Red Nor Blue

True patriotism precedes political change, even insurrection. Blind patriotism precedes tyrrany.

""Beware the leader who bangs the drums of war in order to whip the citizenry into a patriotic fervor, for patriotism is indeed a double-edged sword. It both emboldens the blood, just as it narrows the mind. And when the drums of war reached a fever pitch and the blood boils with hate and the mind has 'closed', the leader will have no need in seizing the rights of the citizenry. Rather, the citizenry, infused with fear and blinded by patriotism, will offer up all their rights unto the leader and gladly so." - Julius Caesar

We are smack-dab in the middle of an election year, and if you have not yet heard the word patriotism being tossed around, you will. In my thinking, when such terms are thrown back and forth, setting the tone for our political discourse, it is important for us to understand what these things really mean. If we sit back and think about the word, patriotism, most likely it immediately conjures up images of an American flag -- maybe even one fluttering in the wind, perhaps fireworks, or an American soldier. But is patriotism defined by these images? Certainly not. They are merely images that we associate with the term because they have been burned into our mind over the years. What then does patriotism really mean?

To understand what patriotism means I believe we first have to appreciate the difference between patriotism and blind patriotism.

"Patriotism means unqualified and unwavering love for the nation, which implies not uncritical eagerness to serve, not support for unjust claims, but frank assessment of its vices and sins, and penitence for them." - Alexander Solzhenitsyn

I think a good parallel in establishing this distinction is in a parent's love for a child. A parent may love a child unconditionally, but out of love still disciplines a child when they stray. The act of discipline is itself a manifestation of their love. Whereas a parent that showers their child with affection and blindly rationalizes the wrong actions of their child is not truly showing love. While this is not a perfect parallel, in the same way, a true patriot loves his or her country, but questions our government when it is wrong, and seeks to restore the direction of our country when it strays from what makes us great. A blind patriot insists that we must remain unwavering in our devotion to country, defending even her wrong actions. In much the same way as in the parallel, this is not a healthy devotion. Blind patriotism is dysfunctional, almost like a battered wife syndrome where a woman is devoted to a husband irrespective of his unloving actions towards her.

I can imagine some people wondering at this point what I am trying to say -- is this guy a Republican or a Democrat? Patriotism has nothing to do with Republicans or Democrats and definitely nothing to do with Barack Obama or John McCain. In this upcoming election there will be many true patriots who vote for one or the other of those major party candidates, and likewise there will be many who have fallen victim to blind patriotism who will do the same. Is patriotism then just completely in the eye of the beholder -- it is whatever we want it to be? Not exactly -- certainly an overt betrayal of one's country, an openly treasonous act, which is probably the opposite of patriotism, wouldn't qualify. Also, in my opinion, blind patriotism does not qualify as patriotism. But neither does any one political party or point of view have a strangehold on love of country. As a proponent of small-government, and pro-constitutional positions, I believe that the positions and viewpoints of many big-government liberals and big-government conservatives are at the least misguided, and at the most immoral, but this does not lead me to believe that the lot of the opposition love their country less than I do.

I will sum this up with presenting some thoughts of those who have already said it better than I can, but also with the admonition to never let someone tell you that you lack patriotism for questioning your government or the course of your country, regardless of whether the red states or the blue states prevail...

"To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public." – Teddy Roosevelt

"Dissent is the Highest Form of Patriotism." - Thomas Jefferson

"Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it." – Mark Twain

"The citizen who sees his society’s democratic clothes being worn out and does not cry it out, is not a patriot, but a traitor." - Mark Twain