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Friday is “Patriot Day”, in memory of the terrorist attacks in the US on September 11, 2001. I’ll never forget that terrible day, and I’m sure you won’t either. Unfortunately, some people have twisted the meaning of the term “patriot”. A patriot is “a proud supporter or defender of his or her country and its way of life”. (Encarta Dictionary) There’s more to patriotism than flying the flag and saying the right words. A patriot should know something about her/his own country’s laws, principles, and customs. A patriot should behave in ways that demonstrate the nation’s values.
The Constitution contains America’s most important principles. Among those are the inherent and sacred equality of every member of our society – regardless of race, sex, religion, social status, income, or political persuasion. That means that each person has the right to hold and express their opinions on public issues. We have the freedom of speech, press, religion, assembly, and petition. We have the rights to privacy and security in our homes and lives. We have rights when we are arrested and tried for crimes. We have the right to equal protection of all of the laws.
We also have the same responsibilities. We must be responsible citizens. We must be informed about current issues and events. We must pay attention to what our representatives are doing. We must communicate our wishes and priorities on the issues important to us. And we must vote.
Our Constitution defines and limits the government’s powers, requires Congress to oversee government operations, and guarantees justice to all residents. All elected officials, all police officers, and many other public employees take an oath to uphold the constitution. This means that none of their official acts can violate constitutional principles. However, their actions often contradict that oath.
- Wearing a flag lapel pin while threatening and intimidating someone who disagrees with you at a town hall meeting does not make you a patriot. It makes you a hypocrite.
- Lying about the content of pending legislation to protect the profits of private companies does not make you a patriot. It makes you a fraud.
- Ridiculing the people who devote their lives to helping your poorest citizens in your poorest communities does not make you a patriot. It makes you a selfish, arrogant snob.
- Voting for legislation that violates the constitution does not make you a patriot. It makes you a traitor.
- Torturing prisoners does not make you a patriot. It makes you an animal.
America’s founders spent a lot of time trying to get it just right. They neglected their homes, their families, and their work to create something that would benefit all of us – even today. It’s not perfect, but it is remarkable.
I don’t know why so many Americans – including many of our elected representatives – think it’s acceptable to ignore these principles. We can protect America without abandoning the ideals that make us American. It’s time for all of us to do it.
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Comments
Great essaY, Pat. You always hit the nail on the head. But I don't agree with your disparaging animals.
Amen, Pat. Only criticism is the remark about animals, but then, that's the vegan in me talking!
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