Written By: Jayna Kendell
Parkland Survivor, David Hogg, speaks out for gun control, and the debate as to whether he is a patriot begins. Merriam-Webster’s dictionary defines patriotism as “love for or devotion to one’s country.” That can be expressed in many different ways, but as a result of our modern society and social media, America’s idea of patriotism has drifted from focusing on people’s actions to focusing on fireworks, sparklers, flags, and our country’s scenery.
Rewind back to 1773. As most Americans will know, this is a few years before the signing of our beloved Declaration of Independence. During this time before the signing, the people of Boston began to take a stand against their British oppressors. As a result of the Tea Act, Samuel Adams lead a bunch of men he knew from a pub he frequented, The Green Dragon, in a dangerous mission where they dressed up as Mohawk Indians, and under the cover of night, took control of a British ship and tossed all the tea into the Boston harbor. This event went down in history as the Boston Tea Party. Adams, along with his cousin, John Adams, and friends, John Hancock, Paul Revere, Joseph Warren, and others formed an armed resistance against the British crown and Parliament and became known as the original American Patriots. Soon to join were other historical figures like Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Alexander Hamilton. They got that title because these men were willing to fight for their freedom and to liberate an oppressed people. They were true patriots.
These events took place before the United States declared independence, making them acts of treason, but they were still considered patriots. This is because the American colonies, the city of Boston especially, no longer saw themselves as British citizens, but as Americans. They were patriotic because they believed in the country that could be. A country where all men are created equal, and where man’s rights weren’t given to them by the government, nor were they given by another man, but by God. That is what makes them unalienable. And among these unalienable rights are “Life, Liberty, and The Pursuit of Happiness.” Those men bravely defended those rights in a war that seemed futile. They were going up against the most powerful empire in the world; a global superpower, but the dream of a free nation gave them hope and the strength they needed to carry on. Their love for America made them patriots through and through.
When it comes to what patriotism means, most people can’t give a straight answer, but in an article by Lawrence W. Reed, the author of The True Meaning of Patriotism, he included a quote from the Scottish Declaration of Arbroath that completely sums up what I think the founding fathers were thinking; “It is not for honor or glory or wealth that we fight, but for freedom alone, which no good man gives up except with his life.” This embodies the radical ideas of the revolution, the beautiful nation that followed, and patriotism in its purest form.
As time went on the nation engaged in a Civil War. The North, who fought to preserve the fragile union, are considered patriots. Martin Luther King Jr., who peacefully protested segregation, is considered a patriot. His ideas unified this country not only as states but as a people. Bringing races together to strengthen an already strong country. These men are indeed patriots because they fought, died, and were imprisoned for the good of America.
Fast forward even more, and people celebrate Independence Day with fireworks and sparklers, and flags wrapped around their shoulders. They are decked out in red, white, and blue, posing for pictures that within moments will end up on Instagram or their Snapchat story. They’ll post it with a caption like “celebrating America the beautiful.” All this, in an effort to show their friends how “patriotic” they are, but they do not understand their country’s true beauty, which lies not in its landscape, but in its ideals. People do not understand that just because they post pictures of themselves dressed in red, white, and blue does not make them patriotic.
Society puts all its attention on people like David Hogg, calling him a patriot, but they fail to recognize the men and women who continually put their lives on the line so the people of the United States can enjoy the liberties we have taken for granted.
But patriotism is only a good thing on Independence Day, and according to Gallup, even then people are reluctant to call themselves patriotic: “As the nation prepares to celebrate Independence Day, 52% of adults say they are ‘extremely proud’ to be Americans, a new low in Gallup’s 16-year trend.” Society frowns upon people who are patriotic, calling it “nationalism,” and referring to it as a bad thing.
It doesn’t help that people aren’t quite sure of the real meaning of patriotism. When it comes to the founding fathers and other historical figures, it’s just that: history. People have a historic view of them. They know the result of Benedict Arnold’s betrayal or President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. But when dealing with the here and now, nobody knows what is going to happen, therefore it is hard to judge who is a patriot and who is not.
There are songs that celebrate the United States’ scenery with lyrics like “for amber waves of grain, for purple mountains majesty.” Now, this nation’s scenery is beautiful and should be celebrated with lyrics that paint vivid images in your mind as the songs do, but rocks and edible plants are not all patriotism is about. If the founding fathers could see this country now, they would think we were all mad, because patriotism is so much more.
Patriotism is the thrill you get when you see Old Glory waving in the wind. It’s the tears that form in your eyes when you hear the national anthem. Patriotism is standing up for the ideas stated in the Constitution, the pride felt when the story of the Revolution is told, and to revel in the radical idea of a Democratic-Republic: a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. But thanks to the changes in politics and education, people don’t always learn about that government. Therefore the United States is not done justice in the classroom, so people do not understand patriotism.
It’s very easy to see that the definition of “patriotism” has changed throughout the decades. In society, patriotism is viewed as something that is tangible. But the reality is, patriotism cannot be defined to one definition. As Wesley Morris, author of Colin Kaepernick and the Question of Who Gets to Be Called a Patriot, said, “love of a country can be tender, of course. It can also be tough, and that toughness can be expressed zealously, too.”
Patriotism can be Abigail Adams, who stood by her husband, John’s, side through the whole revolution, supporting him and his dream of an independent nation. It can also be George Washington, the strong, fearless leader of the Continental Army. The father of the United States, and the first and greatest president, who became the first man in history to give up his power for the good of his country. Patriotism can be Ulysses S. Grant, the Northern General in the Civil War, leading his men into a war to preserve the union, and ultimately, abolish slavery. And last, but certainly not the least, patriotism can be your everyday citizen who believes in the ideals this country was founded on. Patriotism is an abstract word that depends on perspective.
Works Cited
Jones, Jeffrey M. “New Low of 52% ‘Extremely’ Proud to Be Americans”. Gallup. Gallup, 1
July 2016. Web. 29 November 2016.
Morris, Wesley. “Colin Kaepernick and the Question of Who Gets to Be Called a ‘Patriot’”. New York Times Magazine. New York Times, 12 September 2016. Web. 29 November 2016.
Reed, Lawrence W. “The True Meaning of Patriotism”. Foundation for Economic Education. Foundation for Economic Education, 1 July 2016. Web. 29 November 2016.
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