On this 4th of July Independence Day holiday in the United States, to say I’m honestly feeling mixed emotions would be an understatement. I like many others, especially those of us who are military veterans, feel a conflicting swirl of emotions considering all that is happening in our country. This swirl of emotions prompted me to reflect today on the meaning of independence and patriotism for me.
I ponder these thoughts this morning as I ride a train from early dawn out of Washington D.C. to visit military friends near Albany in upstate New York. As the sun rises over the modest blue-collar communities and homes in urban and rural areas near the train tracks, and as the train whistle blows, I’m reminded of the tenacity, resilience, and hard-working spirit that declared our independence from an oppressive ruler and government on July 4th, 1776. I’m also reminded of the hard work of generations of immigrants who built this nation, including the railroads I’m traveling on today and the communities I’m traveling through. They all fought and built the foundations of our independence we enjoy today through their patriotism. Even though in today’s present situation, I fear we are losing our independence and freedoms in many ways, which saddens me and challenges the meaning of patriotism towards my country for me.
As a kid growing up in rural Georgia, July 4th was all about summer barbecues, picnics at the lake, fishing, watching the fireworks, and celebrating our country’s birth. I was brought up to be proud to be an American and proud to be a Southerner, reflecting on the positive attributes of our accomplishments and culture. We celebrated our national achievements in space exploration with the moon landing decades before and our growing capabilities with the space shuttle flights, satellite launches and more. There was much to be proud of in our country and inspired our patriotism.
But current events in our country have me questioning what does patriotism mean? I found an article, linked below in this newsletter, that describes different kinds or levels of patriotism. I’ve read through it once so far, but still need to reflect on it more. However, at initial reading, I’m landing somewhere personally right now between what is described as moderate patriotism and ethical patriotism. My feelings may change, but for now that is where I’m landing. If you are struggling with similar emotions about patriotism and independence, I encourage you to read the article sometime.
The basic elements of moderate patriotism from the article say it isn’t enough that a country is your country, but you expect it to live up to certain standards to earn and deserve your support, devotion and concern for its well-being. And when the country fails to live up to these standards a moderate patriot may withhold support. Ethical patriotism is described as when a person seeks to ensure their country lives up to and promotes moral requirements and values, both domestically and internationally. An ethical patriot works for a just and humane society domestically and a country that acts justly beyond its borders and shows common human solidarity with those in need. And finally, an ethical patriot isn’t afraid to explore the dark chapters of their country’s history, work to make amends to those wronged, and ensuring those wrongs are not repeated in the future.
Perhaps one doesn’t have to fully define themselves in a single category type of patriotism. Perhaps, you may find yourself in different types depending on the time period you are in and what is happening around you. I don’t put any criticisms on any of the types of patriotism or what is ‘good or bad.’ Instead, I leave it up to each of you to read and reflect on your own for what patriotism means to you and where you fall in this moment in time.
I will say that while I’m filled with mixed emotions today, concerned for my country and not proud of what America is doing right now both domestically and internationally, I am still proud to be an American. I’m proud to be an American in the context of those brave first Americans who took a stand for independence on July 4th, 1776. And proud to be an American in the context of all those brave, resilient, hardworking immigrants who built this country. In their honor I celebrate our Independence Day as a moderate ethical patriot. I will continue to fight for the ethical and moral soul of our country because I believe in the higher ideals of our country, and I know there are millions of other patriots who feel the same way. We will have our Independence Day.
I encourage each of you to reflect on your stories and what Independence Day and patriotism means to you. Thank you for all you do to continue building and improving our flawed nation, fighting for maintaining our independence and freedoms, and your patriotism, in whatever form that means to you, even in the face of unjust and overwhelming challenges at this time. May you all have a meaningful Independence Day holiday and weekend. And may our country come together in unity around our shared history fighting for and maintaining our independence and resist those forces that seek to divide instead of uniting us. Reflect on what this day means to you and remember that Your Story Matters.
