Today, I’d like to take a break from the series I’ve been rolling out to discuss patriotism in honor of Independence Day. We should always be grateful for our country and what it affords us, but I think the 4th of July is a great time to stop and reflect on that more deeply. So, I want to look at this topic generally, but also specifically in regards to my love of my country and my heritage.
What is Patriotism?
It can be hard to offer a patriotism definition, largely because it encompasses so much. Basically, I look at it as a love for one’s own country and a recognition of and gratitude for what his country offers. That is not normally how I find people describing it. We often misconstrue American patriotism, for instance, by limiting it to assenting to the values our founders described. While I think a patriot is one who does love the founding of his country, I think there can be room for criticism or dissent. Also, it encompasses more than just that – especially since many nations have been founded on different grounds.
Patriotism vs. Nationalism
I do think there’s a difference between patriotism and nationalism, but it’s nuanced. To understand that, I’d like to point to the American founding. A nation is “a relatively large group of people organized under a single, usually independent government; a country.” (via The American Heritage Dictionary)
Justice demands us to love our country and be grateful to it. But, as we saw in early America, a unified people can fall apart. By the time of our founding, we were in many ways a separate nation, which is how our founders justified their separation.
Patriotism Quotes
“The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.”
– Thomas Jefferson
“True patriotism hates injustice in its own land more than anywhere else.”
– Clarence Darrow
“This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave.”
– Elmer Davis
‘My country, right or wrong’ is a thing no patriot would ever think of saying except in a desperate case. It is like saying ‘My mother, drunk or sober.’
– Gilbert K. Chesterton
Related posts
- 132. Is America Worth Defending?
- 134. How to Defend America
- Political Division in America – What’s Causing it, and How Do We Fix It?
- 184. Crazy Elections in America’s Past
- 37. Restoring Civility In America
- 165. Book Review | Shocking Secrets of American History by Bill Coate
- 20. 4th of July Special, a look at Our Founding Documents
Leave a Reply