"patriotism"

1. Q: What exactly is “patriotism”?
A: Patriotism denotes positive attitudes by individuals to their own perceived civic or political community, to its culture, its members, and to its interests. Actions towards other countries, or to non-civic groups, are not generally described as patriotic, and they may be referred to by a specific name, such as pro-Greek philhellenism. Patriotism is closely related to nationalism.

2. Q: What thoughts and feelings does patriotism embody?
A: The message is clear: in war, patriotism consists in following orders without considering whether they are right or wrong, or even if they make any sense. "Love of country" becomes unquestioning obedience to the country's government.

3. Q: When is patriotism a positive force that unites people, creating a sense of community, shared values, and a mutual commitment to one another?
A: Truth is the American bottom line. Truth above all is fundamental to who we are. It is no accident that among the first words of the first declaration of our national existence it is proclaimed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident…".

4. Q: When is patriotism a negative force that creates divisions between people and fosters distrust and discrimination?
A: Patriotism is everywhere since the September 11 attacks shocked our country and the world. People are singing along with the national anthem at ball games, every other car has a flag on its antenna, and students are actually standing up for the national anthem. Patriotism is a spit in the face to terrorists who want to oppress us, and it brings the country together, making it stronger, the term "united we stand" is common these days. However, there are some sides to patriotism that only darken the premise of love for a country, especially America. Not just here, but worldwide, the Constitution is a symbol of democracy, and the bill of rights is the most respected aspect of this nation's freedom, but since September 11th it seems at least one of these respected rights has been clouded.