Now Debate This "What Does Patriotism Mean to You?"

Añadido: May 16, 2008

De: EllynCN

Duración: 3:2

According to the American Heritage College Dictionary, patriotism is love of and devotion to one's country. To me, patriotism is about believing that our nation is great and good, but recognizing when there is room for growth. It is about believing our country can do better because we have faith in the people of the nation. Patriotism is not about agreeing with and blindly following everything our government proposes because it is our government, nor about biting our tongues because we are in the minority. Quite opposite: patriotism is about knowing when something is not right, and doing something about it, because we love our country enough to care that it can do better. Beliefs must be questioned before they can be fully realized. Doubts must be raised for anything to be changed. If nothing was ever questioned, no change would ever occur, and stoic nations are left behind in the ever-changing world scene. That is why patriotism is so vital to our nation: it is how we grow and adapt. It is through patriotic people standing up and saying what our nation is doing is wrong that the status quo is questioned, advocacy spurred, and equality achieved. It is through strong devotion to the nation that we are bettered. In many instances, patriotism is not easy, and will often not be greeted kindly. For example I look to Cindy Sheehan, who I view her as a patriot for believing something is not right and doing something about it because she loves her country. For support, I will quote H.L. Mencken, "the notion that a radical is one who hates his country is naïve and usually idiotic. He is, more likely, one who likes his country more than the rest of us, and is thus more disturbed than the rest of us when he sees it debauched. He is not a bad citizen driven to crime; he is a good citizen driven to despair." However, it does not take newsworthy acts to be patriotic. The best way to make a difference, and one of the most patriotic acts of all, is to vote. It is a very simple act, but one that, even in the most controversial of presidential elections has peaked at 60.7% of eligible voter turn out. We vote to determine who will lead our cities, states, and country. Each vote matters, and each election is important: from president to sheriff. However, patriotism does not have to be linked to government. One popular views of patriotism is as a militaristic term, used in the extreme cases as nearly a battle cry. I, conversely, believe it is most patriotic to save lives. Although patriotism is about being devoted to our own country, it cannot be at the expense of all others. Patriotism cannot become ethnocentrism. We cannot use our pride as a weapon. We must use our patriotism as a tool to help those less fortunate than ourselves. We must have faith that through the love we have for our country, we can help others as well.

Categoría: Education

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