Patriotism And Blind Patriotism

What does the American Flag mean to me? It means freedom,respect,equal right, faith and hope. Soldiers help protect this country, they fight for us, they give up everything for us. People don’t know how important the flag is. The flag means our country’s freedom. When I look up at the flag, I see people, not just any people, the great Americans that have fought for this country.

"The flag is the symbol of our national unity, transcending all internal differences, however large, within the framework of the Constitution. This Court has had occasion to say that … 'it signifies government resting on the consent of the governed; liberty regulated by law; the protection of the weak against the strong; security against the exercise of arbitrary power; and absolute safety for free institutions against foreign aggression (26).'”

Patriotism is not blindly following ones country as some think. Patriotism is working to ensure you’re your country lives up to your moral and ethical values both at home and abroad. As well as being critical of your country when it does not live up to those standards. Patriotism as defined by the Oxford English Dictionary is “The quality of being patriotic; love of or devotion to one's country” (Oxford 2014). That’s it. It doesn’t say you have to take any specific action like flying the flag, serve in any function such as the armed forces or support any particular party for election. However; devotion is usually manifested in some type of behavior. In fact the definition is open to interpretation and subjective at best. True American

The pledge of allegiance and “Star Spangled Banner” are examples of compulsive patriotism in America that not everyone sees. The Pledge of Allegiance and the “Star-Spangled Banner” are orthodoxes Americans have recited for many years since the 1800s. The pledge of allegiance was practiced everyday in the beginning of class, starting at kindergarten, having all the students and teachers participate. I do not call to mind ever learning about what the pledge signified or meant. Never did I ask myself why we said this pledge of allegiance every single day, it was just a mandatory order of each day. The “Star Spangled Banner” is the national anthem that is recited before sport’s events, like football games, and also at official government procedures. Both are traditions in America that show pride for their country, it’s freedom, and history.

“The American flag represents all of us and all the values we hold sacred” Adrian Cronauer uttered this statement that still abide true considering that America was constructed by the people for the people and continues to be operated in that way. The United States of America advances despite the improbable conception because of patriotism within the citizens and because of the acceptance of unique religions of American citizens.

Patriotism is a way in which we can strongly express our pride of for our nation and simply a way to honor our homeland. A feeling that has been spreading throughout the world for thousands of years. Patriotism has been such an influential aspect of literature, it has changed the historical ways of writing. Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Paine and Patrick Henry expressed their ideas of patriotism in very different ways, but they all one idea in common, to share their powerful writing throughout the world. In many pieces of literature patriotism was shown repeatedly through the writing. For example, The Crisis No. 1, The Speech of Virginia Convention, and The Declaration of Independence all thoroughly conveyed patriotism and a revolutionary pride.

All Americans should find their opinion on patriotism and voice that opinion. There are many different views of patriotism and many will clash, but if we continue to talk and use our minds instead of our fists or guns, we can eventually come to a compromise of both ideas, which will best represent everyone’s opinions on patriotism. Through more clearly and fairly defined ideas of patriotism we can better understand the actions of our fellow Americans and avoid more unnecessary conflicts caused by extremist ideas being the only ideas heard.

From a young age, I remember starting a school day by standing, facing the American flag with my right hand placed over my heart, and reciting the pledge of allegiance. The pledge was as follows, “I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all”, however, that was not always how it was worded. The Pledge of Allegiance that many Americans know today has been rewritten many times, by the United States' government. Moreover, the language of the Pledge was changed in a straightforward way for American citizens to show their patriotism for America.

One of the most striking things about American culture is the rich heritage of patriotism and self-sacrificing loyalty that has been shown to this country.” One of the characteristic which America is founded on is honor. We are honored for our character and deeds that we accomplish. We are able to show honor to those who we respect. Betsy Ross created our flag, which represents who we are as a country.

“O’er the land of the free,” our national anthem sings, stating our freedom. America’s flag demonstrates our freedom, as well as our veterans and also has represented guidance. What does America’s flag mean to you? It means a lot to me representing America’s wonderful characteristics. Although, the flag may have gone through hardships, it still stands tall, bold, and wonderful. Now, think about the flags meaning, purpose, and wonders as we take a step forward to learn our wondrous banner’s characteristics in my eyes.

127). This point is the first of emphasized three that seems worthy of its own chapter. While still maintaining that Americans are not polarized, Fiorina et al. give concessions to the opposition, recognizing their own speculation (p. 133). In addition to this, the authors included an appendix immediately after the chapter to clarify their charts. Although slightly different, this is reminiscent of the early chapters. The authors have rediscovered their confidence that had faltered in the two previous arguments. No longer relying on misrepresentations to paint a prettier picture, the authors instead trust in themselves enough to admit supposition and then defend it. Before getting into that, the authors begin by explaining that many scholars have identified a correlation between religion and voter identification (p. 128). What Fiorina et al. argue is that specific religions are not an indicator of specific political identification. Instead, they claim that it is the commitment of an individual to their religion, regardless of denomination, is the determining factor. This important distinction provides the authors with a base on which to build their

“I Pledge Allegiance to the Flag.. “, that is what I am reminded of when seeing the American flag. Standing up along with my fellow classmates gave me a sense of having a common bond with others even if each student came from a different background. Even as a young child, I felt the pull of what stating the Pledge of Allegiance meant to me and what looking up at the flag evoked from me. Patriotism and an impression of pride from living in this country. The American flag is saluted, people pray alongside it, and grieve when someone who fought for this country has fallen. Having pride in the flag helps the country remember what it means to be an American. The flag, also known as it’s nickname, Old Glory, stands for what this country was built on;freedom. To desecrate the symbol of pride and being an American may be a

When I was younger I felt like I knew what it meant to be patriotic in America, but as times change I feel like I have no clue what it means to be patriotic in America today. I believe I had a grasp on what it means to be patriotic because, I had grown up in Gallup New Mexico-known to be the most patriotic town in The United States of America. Then Earlier in my life I also had to deal with my brother, who went into a recruiter's office and signed up to be shipped off to Afghanistan the very next day. When he would visit he would have these lectures on how we should show our patriotism. He would eventually force my mother to put up the American flag in the front porch to show respect for the country and those who served it. As I got older

When the Founding fathers signed their names to the Declaration of Independence, they set forth a path of courage and strength for the United States. From that day on, Americans found ways to show their love for this country. Patriotism can be interpreted in different ways by different people, what makes a patriotic person is not whether they stand or kneel during the National Anthem, but how the perceive the United States and how to progress to a better future. That is what the American Flag stands for, a never-ending battle for freedom.

Freedom, one of the things the US flag stands for me is freedom. The freedom to say anything that’s on my mind, to believe in whatever I want without having someone threatening me like in other countries. The freedom and peace of knowing that I can go to sleep and wake up calmly thanks to the amazing, brave heroes we have fighting for our countries rights.