What is Patriotism?

As George Bernard Shaw, an Irish playwright once proclaimed, “Patriotism is your conviction that this country is superior to all others because you were born in it.” However, the thought that patriotism is simply one’s belief that their country is superior to all others is quite a naive statement. It was on the fields of Valley Forge, the borders of the American Southwest, the bunkers of World War I, the beaches of Normandy, the shelters of the Cold War, and the deserts of the Middle East that the true expansive definition of patriotism was created. It was the numerous lives and ideals that were sacrificed for the common good, the rights of all, which truly embody the concept of patriotism.
Patriotism has several key meanings within the United States, and quite possibly the most important interpretation of patriotism is the idea that patriotism is the embodiment of the American Dream. The American Dream is factored in as a part of patriotism because each individual strives to reach a certain common goal, each individual strives to make something of themselves and improve upon that something. It is because we all strive to reach our individualized American Dream that all the citizens of the United States are drawn together under the banner of patriotism. Also falling under the guise of patriotism as a corollary to the American Dream is the idea that as patriotic individuals we must help others in our community to achieve their American Dream. When one volunteers to help build a house or helps by collecting cans for the local food bank or even when one makes a generous donation to a cause, they are an embodiment of the true meaning of patriotism. The initiative one takes to assist an individual in a time of need shows that, that individual understands his patriotic duty to help others achieve the same standing as he. The assistance of others shows that an individual is willing to sacrifice for the good of the populous, which is the highest form of patriotism.
Besides both the American Dream and its corollary of assistance, patriotism also has numerous other meanings, many of which being politically motivated. The first aspect of patriotism as politically defined comes with the understanding that our freedom and democracy came at a price, and if necessary each individual should be willing to lay down their life in protection of those rights. Patriotism is the idea that if push comes to shove and someone or something wishes to leave us devoid of our rights and freedoms it is our obligation to stand as one nation and defend those rights no matter who the opponent. Just as individuals are supposed to stand and fight for their rights and freedoms; it is also their obligation as patriotic individuals to participate in government. As an element of American patriotism, it is each individual’s obligation to vote and participate in the American government. As Americans, individuals are afforded the right to vote and participate in government and in return for that right, individuals are asked to use their right to vote and prosper as a mechanism for positive change. It is the idea that an individual would support as well as defend the United States and what it stands for that is truly patriotic and is an epithet of patriotism and its symbolic meaning.
Patriotism is far greater than a belief that your country is superior; it is the understanding of what certain symbols of government stand for, it’s the helping of others for a common good, it’s the understanding that your liberties came at a price, it is the understanding that you must participate in government, and it is most importantly the understanding that all individuals strive for a common dream or goal.

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