Patriotism

I agree with Jenson’s claim that patriotism today is not what it should be. Patriotism has morphed into nationalism that has become crude and ugly. When I think of patriotism I think of loyalty and love for your Country and standing up for what you believe in. It seems as though patriotism has turned into something much more than that, and many people are labeled “un-American” if they do not agree with every political move. It seems as though many politicians have used the word patriotism to try to encourage people to support their decisions, especially after 9/11. They encourage people by saying, if you love your country and want to embrace what we stand for, you will support this war. Now patriotism has turned into hatred and racism combined together with a “love for our Country.” By using patriotism in a negative way to gain support, it is losing its meaning.

I do not however believe that patriotism should be thrown out; because I believe it is an important part of our human experience. It is not to say that our Country is better than any other Countries, but that we love where we come from and that we only want the best for our Country and its people. I do not believe that freedom should be labeled as an American characteristic, but as a human characteristic and that because we have patriotism for our Country we will strive for freedom for our Country.