The other day I saw one of those giant lifted trucks spewing black smoke behind two oversized flags. One was the American flag, the other was the ‘blue lives matter’ flag. When I see those trucks I assume that person is a racist and probably supported the attempted coup which almost took away our American democracy- the very thing we built our nation for. This got me thinking about what it means to be a flag-waving patriot.

Wikipedia says patriotism is the feeling of love, devotion, and attachment to one’s country. As a millennial liberal with an electric car I am probably the antithesis of big truck guy but I too am a proud flag-waving American

Frustrated citizens often say things like “I could never love a country that did so-and-so horrible thing”. Many of us would not want to wave a flag because they associate it with those horrors. But “Love of country” is not love of our government or their actions. You would be hard-pressed to find many throughout history who loved all the actions of their leaders. Whether ruled by a king, a Pope, a warlord or a muti-party democracy there will always be faults to find. There will always be room for improvement. Therefore the government must be excluded from the definition of patriotism.

What is our country if not the actions of our government, then? Here’s what it means to me. It means my family, my neighbors, my friends. It means BBQ and Philly cheesesteaks. I love cheering for our athletes in the Olympics. I love hiking in our National Parks. Have you been to Yellowstone? That’s our country! So is Elvis and John Steinbeck and Thomas Edison. If you think that slavery defines America then consider that there were also abolitionists who gave everything to fight it. If you think a mass shooting is what the flag represents then consider those who line up to donate blood in a crisis. Remember the words of the great American Mr. Rogers, “look for the helpers.”

No, the wrongs of our leaders are not what the flag represents to me. I have and will continue to vote in ways to make my country, state, and city better. I will protest injustice and vote with my wallet. I will speak out loud and fight for the laws and government that I believe in. I do that because I love my country. Call it my love language.

Patriotism is the feeling of love, devotion, and attachment to one’s country. You are my country. Even though I do not know you I will always fight to make your life better. I wave the American flag for you. Go wave the flag and let it stand for the goodness we believe in. Don’t let racists take our flag as a symbol of hate.

  • aelwero@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    The flag isn’t going to be taken away by racists… it’s going to be taken away by the 50% who insist that anyone who isn’t like they are is a racist Nazi coup supporting trump voting redneck asshole… Rednecks are flying the US flag, so liberty must be racist. That’s what’s gonna take the flag away.

    I can’t say one single fucking word about how the trials related to trump are a complete out of control purely political witchhunt, without it being assumed that I’m racist, that I love trump, that I drive a diesel and love cops… that I have all the traits that the Democrats attribute to a republican… It’s either you agree 100% with one, or you are 100% the other… I’m neither. Never have been. I voted for Ross fucking Perot… That’s how long I’ve been sick of the partisan bullshit, and let me tell you motherfuckers, back then, it was like 1/1000th as bad…

    I’m tapped the fuck out on fucks to give bud, I see someone spewing assumptions and bitching about how those assumptions are going to fuck themselves over and take their own flag away. If you like the flag, STOP TAKING FLAGS AWAY FROM PEOPLE. The US flag means racist because YOU are saying it does, not because they are… YOU decided what the flags, statues, street names, etc. meant, and tore the all down over the meaning YOU gave them. Billy bob isn’t taking symbols away, he’s banning books from schools. Tearing down symbols is your thing buddy.

    Liberty and justice for all means it includes motherfuckers you don’t like… diesel driving Billy Bob has exactly as much entitlement to his symbols as you do to put books in libraries, and if you can’t understand that, then that flag doesn’t mean a fucking thing anyway.

    • Contestant@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Thanks for confirming, once again, that centrists like you live in a bubble and won’t admit there is a problem. Every time I see this, I move a bit further to the left.

    • bucho@lemmy.one
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      1 year ago

      I can’t say one single fucking word about how the trials related to trump are a complete out of control purely political witchhunt

      I mean, you can say that all you’d like. Just don’t be surprised when people judge you to be not very intelligent because of it. It is a profoundly dumb take, after all.

    • skulblaka@kbin.social
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      1 year ago

      “I act and speak exactly just like this other group, but I’m sick and fucking tired of people assuming I’m one of them! I walk like a duck and I quack like a duck but it should be obvious that I’m not a duck!”