4 July 2018 Are You A Patriot?

Are You A Patriot?

The definition of a patriot is if you are willing to defend your country against enemies.  I believe it also means are you willing to defend the speech of someone you disagree with, the religion of someone you don’t believe in and the independence of the press (the 1^stamendment rights in the Bill of Rights)? To me, it has nothing to do with if you fly a flag, where a lapel label of the flag, sit or stand for the national anthem.  In fact, we over play the national anthem.  Why at every sporting event?  It is just a sporting event.   I don’t get it.

How far are you willing to go to defend 1^stAmendment rights? Would you die to defend your rights or someone else’s?  Are you not a patriot if you are not willing to die to protect them? Can you be a patriot if you didn’t serve in the military?   For the vast majority of people I would not judge you as less a patriot if you wouldn’t die or serve.  

We have made patriotism as some litmus test.  In the political sphere it is portrayed that Republicans are more patriotic than Democrats.  The Republicans who talk the loudest about patriotism are the ones who avoided the draft or military service.  Those people I don’t respect.    

We as a country have to do everything possible to defend the 1^stAmendment rights.  If we don’t have them, then we are not the country I want it to be.   You are patriotic to me if you defend these rights in whatever way you can.