Patriotism
I don't know about you, but I don't feel very patriotic these days. We are watching what we believed were the ideals of the red, white, and blue being tarnished right before our eyes.
Our entire lives we were taught that America stood for freedom for all. Liberty and justice prevailing against tyranny was the story being told to us since childhood. Backed up with tales of the founders, the end of slavery, and the one and only speech by Martin Luther King Jr. that they referred to over and over again to portray a colorblind society.
Just like how “I have a Dream” wasn't the only thing that MLK stood for, there was more to the fables we once thought true.
From the beginning, Freedom was never intended to be for everyone. The egalitarian meritocracy was a myth.
The hierarchical structure was built into the structure from inception.
Once believed to be an organic caste system predetermined by the laws of nature, later to be called Social Darwinism. We now know this “Natural” Hierarchy is only a social construct and we have the ability to dismantle this structure leading to a truly equal society.
Detractors of this sentiment claim that it is wanting Equal Outcome, but this is not true. It’s asking for Equal Opportunity not Outcome.
Like previously stated I don’t feel very patriotic these days, but maybe we aren’t supposed to.
Maybe Patriotism is the anger and sadness we feel living in an unjust nation, the desire to change it to what we have been told our country stands for. To force our society to practice what it preaches. To dismantle the unnatural hierarchal system that’s plagued this land. To seek a better life for all and not for a select few.
This of course this isn’t what most people see as patriotic and those who share my sentiments are often accused of “hating America” by those who think we have done all we can to do.
Their vision of Patriotism frequently dismisses any arguments of unjust practices to remain in a comfortable state of American Exceptionalism. They might admit that the United States of America has had some blemishes, but “all that is a thing of the past”. Refusing to look at the deficiencies to elevate the positive aspects, something of which not everyone in the country is included in.
I would argue the latter is not patriotism, like they claim, at all and in reality is Nationalism. The terms Patriotism and Nationalism have become conflated over the years. While one is the push for progress for all, the other is stagnation and loyalty to the authority.
Nationalists and the Authorities spread the myth of Exceptionalism and Natural Hierarchy. Leaning on Manifest Destiny and Discouraging progress while making enemies of those who push for it.
They don't want Patriots, they want Parrots.
This is not meant to discount the progress that has been made, but to encourage to continue the fight. We might never get to full equality for our fellow humans but we should try until our last breath.