Saturday, October 3, 2009

Patriotism

There is a difference between true patriotism and blind patriotism. When defining patriotism most people would say it is loyalty to one's country no matter what. It means supporting one's nation in war and supporting the nation's authority figures and policies. This is blind patriotism. It is a threat to democracy and isn't really patriotism. This is what we call "going with the flow." True patriotism means keeping one's nation's best interests at heart. True patriots are often called unpatriotic by the vast majority of the country, at least until the country undergoes a massive change. For example, many saw Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as unpatriotic for a long time because he challenged American laws and customs. Today, however he is celebrated throughout the country for his strong fight to uphold America's promises of liberty and equality for all. He was doing what he felt was best for America and its people. That is true patriotism. Patriotism can be different for different people. To one person patriotism might be supporting the war against terrorism, not because they support whatever America does, but because they feel that the war is in America's best interest and they believe it is right. To another person patriotism might be fighting against the war because they don't believe it helps America or its interests. Being a patriot does not mean one cannot support other countries and people from them. It's actually quite the contrary. If an American supports Indonesia or an Indonesian person in some way, as long as it does not hurt America, it can reflect well on America as a country because it shows that Americans can be good people and think of people besides just themselves. In short, it makes us look good. Patriotism can be interpreted in so many different ways. It just depends on how it is interpreted that shows us the difference between blind patriotism and true patriotism.

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