Some people in our country believe they are "real Americans" compared to many who are not. Many of these so-called "real Americans," as well as patriots, feel that their identity is being increasingly eroded by American society.
This mentality was used by the former president who claimed to be the defender of "real Americans". He began by saying he would build a wall against immigrants. In addition, Donald Trump has encouraged the opposition to work with international partners, including the United Nations, which the United States has supported. He describes people who want to maintain good international relations as "globalists" and "globalists". At worst, Trump and his supporters are not strong supporters of NATO, which we now know as a critical bulwark against Putin's regime in Russia, as well as a supporter of democracy in Ukraine.
Living abroad for many years has made me very patriotic. When we saw the American flag, it was beautiful. I became more patriotic as a chaplain to a group of American businessmen who served in World War II and narrowly escaped shipwreck. More than 6,000 did not survive. They provided the men and heavy equipment needed to win the war. The British Merchant Navy was called the Mercantile Navy and they lost over 30,000 men because they outlasted us at war. U.S. Merchant Marines were not considered veterans until 1987 and did not receive veteran benefits until then.
In the year The attack on the capital on January 6, 2021 proves that flying the American flag is more than just waving a patriotic flag. Some waved Christian flags as if performing Christian activities. Most Americans were confused by the use of American and Christian flags by the attackers in the capital. Most of those who attacked the capital are currently serving appropriate prison terms.
We agree that we can debate the meaning of patriotism in our free country. So I think the word "healthy" should be placed before patriotism to emphasize the positive meaning of the word. A healthy sense of patriotism, like a healthy sense of self-confidence, implies an awareness of the need for correction and improvement. This is known as humility and involves self-criticism and striving to improve. It certainly involves joining with others and listening to others' ideas, but both sides of an argument are not necessarily given equal weight. Treating all arguments with equal weight means creating false equations. The most important parts of an argument are the facts presented.
in addition. Commentary: The foundations of democracy include trust, organization, and mutually binding contracts.
in addition. Comment: The Donald Trump phenomenon is a humbling experience for our country.
My main point here is that the concepts of "patriotism" and "patriotism" need clarification and definition. "Is my country right or wrong?" A phrase like that can be very difficult. A healthy patriotism combined with humility leads to a perfect union to address the nation's weaknesses and the continuous advancement of "liberty and justice for all."
Now more than ever we know clearly that there are dark and dangerous lines in our country. In the year On January 6, 2021, he declared himself a rebel. Unfortunately, lies and violence continue to manifest in the language and behavior of Trump and many of his followers. The former president uses offensive words against his political opponents and encourages violence against them. People who were encouraged to use violence by the former president are especially dangerous. Instead of waiting for the legal system to work, the individuals threaten law enforcement and other citizens. As a result, innocent citizens were killed.
The rise of violent language and threats against groups and individuals against their political opponents is clear evidence of the fraudsters. Healthy patriotism refers to the observance of rules regarding healthy human relations. Healthy patriotism must include strong condemnation of violence.
A healthy patriotism always promotes democracy in the attitudes and actions of Americans. He respects the law and puts it above a leader like Trump. It is the only way to build a "more perfect unity" where all people are recognized as human equals, especially if this means working with diversity of opinion and respecting election results, not rigged ones.
Reverend Robert L. Montgomery, PhD, lives in Montenegro.
This article originally appeared in the Asheville Citizen-Times. Opinion: Healthy patriotism means overcoming differences.