What Patriotism Means To Me

This July 4th my fellow Americans will dust off their flags for display.  Don tee shirts featuring a patriotic slogan.  Gawk at dazzling fireworks of red-white-and-blue explosions. For too many Americans, that's where patriotism starts and ends.  It's a once a year expression. Little more.

There is nothing wrong with a day of celebrations, even if some are clueless about why July 4th matters.  On that date in 1776 the Continental Congress declared the American colonies were no longer under the oppressive thumb of Britain with the passage of the Declaration of Independence.

My sense is that if you polled average Americans on their concept of patriotism their answers might baffle you.  Some believe it is a blind loyalty to country.  Others think it is voting, saluting the flag, standing for the National Anthem or supporting the military.  All laudable exercises of freedom.

A growing minority attach all sorts of political causes to patriotism.  Robert Reich, former Secretary of Treasury, once opined that patriotism was paying "taxes in full rather than seeking tax loopholes and squirreling away money abroad."  Wonder if the founding fathers would agree?

Schools and universities today are dishing out a lot of nonsense about patriotism.  According to news reports, students are being taught tolerance of transgender individuals, refraining from hurtful speech, saving the climate and opening borders to illegal immigrants are patriotic causes.

That is not what patriotism means to me.  I revere the idealism expressed in the Declaration of Independence, particularly the opening paragraphs.  The 1,337 word document enumerates the sacred compact every person makes when they become an American either by birth or naturalization.

Our often imitated, but never surpassed, declaration includes the idea that all men (and women) are created equal.  That was a novel concept in 1776 and remains so centuries later in some countries. For those worried about equality today, visit other nations before too harshly judging America. 

Americans also are endowed NOT by their government, but by their Creator, with certain unalienable rights.  Under the Declaration of Independence, these rights cannot be taken away.  Among the rights we enjoy as Americans are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

We are free to follow our own course in life without interference from the government.  To insure there is no tampering, our hollowed document underscores that the government derives its powers only with the consent of the people, not from politicians, political parties or the courts.

Not many Americans know that our grand treatise includes the admonition that we the people have the right to alter or abolish our form of government if it becomes destructive to the fundamental truths spelled out by the framers. That may sound extreme, but that's exactly why we ditched Britain.

At its core, America stands for freedom.  That may ring quaint to those of us born in a free country, but look around the world today.  Brutal dictators, rogue governments, military juntas and tyrants still rule many nations with an iron fist.  That's why we should never, ever take freedom for granted.

As a patriot, I vehemently oppose anyone who would abridge our freedoms, whether they are leaders, legislators, court judges, police, military or unelected do-gooders. Too many Americans have died to protect and defend those freedoms for us to surrender even one of our God-given rights.

Our nation has many symbols to represent freedom.  The Liberty Bell.  Statue of Liberty.  The American Flag.  Our National Anthem.  Patriotic celebrations.  But symbols are not what makes America singular.  Our country was built on noble ideals that have withstood the test of centuries.

Those principles have defined our nation.  America has at times failed to live up to those soaring ideals.  However, our moral compass, the Declaration of Independence, has guided us to reverse course after we have strayed from the values rooted in the soul of our nation.

Every human on the planet yearns for independence, freedom and contentment. That's why so many immigrants have endured hardships to become U.S. citizens.  They often appreciate the wisdom of the American democratic experiment more than those families who have spent generations here.

Remember that on July 4th and every day.  Reacquaint yourself with our Declaration of Independence.  Discover in its words the essence of what it means to be an American.  Proudly identify as a patriot who treasures the towering idealism of America.