As we reflect on this Memorial
Day on those servicemen and women who gave the ultimate sacrifice in defending
our country and its freedoms, we should understand that they were the true
patriots. Others are also patriotic,
even if they didn’t fight in our wars or serve our country. They honor our heroes by displaying the
American flag and other gestures to show their pride in our nation.
We all have our own definition
of patriotism. For me, in essence, patriotism is a desire to
keep our country strong, honor the Constitution, and to treat all of our
citizens equally and fairly for the greater good.
Unfortunately, there are many
Americans who equate patriotism with an alt-right nationalistic mindset. Patriotism shouldn’t espouse exclusivity and
discrimination. Patriotism doesn’t promote hatred and violence against our own
citizens and neighbors. When one supports ideas and actions that hurt our
country, don’t call yourself patriotic.
Don’t call yourself patriotic if
you are OK with the draft-evading presidential candidate, now Commander-in-Chief, for treating the Purple Heart like it was some souvenir
trinket and lamenting the fact he didn’t have one.
Don’t call yourself patriotic if
you treasure the 2nd Amendment as the most sacred part of our Constitution but
eschew the tenets of the 1st Amendment, such as freedom of speech,
freedom of religion, freedom to peaceably assemble in protest, and yes, freedom
of the press.
Don’t call yourself patriotic if
you agree with a President that wants to ban people from entering our country
based on their religion.
Don’t call yourself patriotic if you vehemently criticize one President
for bowing to the leader of a tyrannical regime that chops off the heads and hands
of its people and represses women, but are silent when the current President does
so.
Don’t call yourself patriotic if
you support the President when he chastises our strong European allies on the
world’s stage but congratulates the leader of the Philippines for doing a “great
job” in his condoning the murder of over 2,500 people during the country’s “war
on drugs.”
Don’t call yourself patriotic if
you shrug off the undeniable fact that our number one adversary, Russia,
interfered with our elections and the President has yet to be persuaded by that
conclusion reached by all of our Intel agencies.
Don’t call yourself patriotic if
you are not bothered by the President’s meeting with the Russian ambassador and
foreign minister in the Oval Office, whereby he divulged classified information
and that only the Russian state press was permitted to observe while the
American media was locked out.
Don’t call yourself patriotic if
you are unconcerned that the President impeded, if not obstructed, the
investigation of Russian ties to our election by firing the man who was
spearheading the investigation and admitting that the “Russian thing” was the
motive.
Don’t call yourself patriotic if
you are not disturbed by the President’s son-in-law, who is woefully
inexperienced in government (as is the President), who allegedly attempted to
set up a secretive back channel communication line with the Kremlin even though
the current administration was not in power in order to purportedly skirt U.S. intelligence
surveillance.
Don’t call yourself patriotic if
you couldn’t care less or even applaud the President praising a U.S.
Congressman-elect for assaulting a reporter doing his job but is silent on the
heroic deaths of two veterans (and a third victim) at the hands of white racist
extremists.
Don’t call yourself patriotic if
it doesn’t bother you that the President and the U.S, House of Representatives produced
a health care proposal that will leave 23 million Americans including a large
chunk of the President’s supporters without health care.
Don’t call yourself patriotic if
you allow the president to roll back regulations that protect the country’s air
and water from polluters.
Don’t call yourself patriotic if
you think for one minute the President has nothing to hide by refusing to share
his tax returns with the American people.
Don’t call yourself patriotic if
you believe the President is putting America’s interests first and not his own
family and his business interests.
