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Define patriotism
Patriotism definition essay
How you define patriotism
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Patriotism and Its Meaning
In the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States we are seeing many forms of Patriotism. I was suprised to find when I researched this word that it had a negative feeling associated with it. I believe that patriotism is actively showing your support for your country, standing up for what you believe in, and fighting for our individual free will and independence.
I am proud of my country and I am not ashamed to fly the American Flag. Many men and women have died to give me the freedoms that I take for granted. I applaud their patriotism, and I thank them for giving me my way of life. I will support them in protecting my country. I will try to elect officials who believe in the issues I do, and who work for the better good o...
Benjamin Franklin, one of the Founding Fathers to the United States, was not a patriot but a mere loyalist to England before the dissolution between England and the colonies occurred. Sheila L. Skemp's The Making of a Patriot explores how Benjamin Franklin tried to stay loyal to the crown while taking interest in the colonies perception and their own representation in Parliament. While Ms. Skemp alludes to Franklin's loyalty, her main illustration is how the attack by Alexander Wedderburn during the Privy Council led to Franklin's disillusionment with the British crown and the greater interest in making the Thirteen Colonies their own nation. Her analysis of Franklin's history in Parliament and what occurred on the night that the council convened proves the change behind Franklin's beliefs and what lead to his involvement in the Declaration of Independence and the American Revolution.
“Nationalism(n.) - loyalty or devotion to a nation, especially an attitude, feeling, or belief characterize by a sense of national consciousness” (The War of 1812 and the Rise of Nationalism 1). Nationalism was a crucial part of America’s success during the War of 1812; nationalism was reflected in the post-war period through increased national pride, emphasis on national issues, increase in power and scope of the national government, and a growing sense of American identity (The War of 1812 and the Rise of Nationalism 1). The first to arise which was the driving force behind American victories against the British was nationalism. This nationalism was expressed in four ways; patriotism, political, economical and cultural. American patriotism
In the Red Badge of Courage, the protagonist Henry, is a young boy who yearns to be a Great War hero, even though he has never experienced war himself. Anxious for battle, Henry wonders if he truly is courageous, and stories of soldiers running make him uncomfortable. He struggles with his fantasies of courage and glory, and the truth that he is about to experience. He ends up running away in his second battle.
Bill Moyer’s PBS series, Buying The War, focuses on journalist’s impact and failure to go up against the Bush administration regarding the sought war in Iraq post 9/11. This documentary portrays how powerful the media was towards the nation, and how useless it was when challenging Bush and his team about whether America should go to war or not with Iraq. We can see how Bush and his administration persuaded the media enough, and to some extent controlled them, in order for them to communicate the message that going to war was the best choice. Patriotism played a vast role because reporters could not go against Bush and reject what he was saying or it would be considered “unpatriotic”. In addition to this, the bias in the media was also a major player that can be connected to patriotism. The media post 9/11 was
In “What They Fought For”. James McPherson engages the reader with the general themes of what motivated the individual soldier to enter to fight in the Civil War. The book is divided into three chapters, giving the insight of many soldiers being divided by the border between the north and south. The lack of censorship at the time allows the reader to clearly see the insight of what these soldiers were trying to display. Although the soldiers are not equally represented by these few letters. There are still a lot of factors that could ultimately affected the overall believes of the soldiers. For example the opinion of the illiterate soldiers were not disclosed because they lacked the ability to write, the unskilled and farmers were also under
Some have seen friends and family get tortured and murdered by their own government for daring to do things we take for granted every day. For those who risked everything simply for the chance to become an American....what kind of feelings do they have for the flag when they Pledge Allegiance the first time? Go to a naturalization ceremony and see for yourself, the tears of pride, the thanks, the love and respect of this nation, as they finally embrace the American flag as their own. Ask one of them if it would be OK to tear up the flag.
Simon Keller argues in his essay "Patriotism as Bad Faith" that patriotism is not a virtue but it is actually a vice. Keller begins by splitting the views on this philosophical debate into three different representations. The first being the "communitarian patriot", where patriotism is not only a valued virtue to someone's self but that it is actually an essential virtue. The second representation is a radical contradiction of the first, known as the "hard universalist. The hard Universalist sees patriotism as a vice instead of being any type of positive virtue. They think that everyone should be valued the same, and that there should be no favoritism. The third representation is the idea of the first two combined, to form what is called the "soft universalist." This view is understood as patriotism is allowed, and is not seen as a vice, but also that one has an obligation to the rest of the world, almost to try and treat them as a loyalty that you would have towards your own country. (p.112).
World War I, also known as “The Great War”, was a global war that revolved mainly around Europe. It took place from 1914 to 1918. This was a very brutal war that caused many casualties. The soldiers who survived experienced severe trauma and mental discomfort. This trauma was a direct result of the violence and agony they experienced during the war. Motivation for this war was the idea of nationalism and the pride in one’s country. This war was the cause of disillusionment among many of the soldiers that were involved in it.
The exploration of what patriotism is and what represents patriotism is an important one more people should embark upon. If Americans are to examine patriotisms true meaning, we will be able to abolish this faux patriotism, which is represented by intimidation, censorship, and majority rules attitudes or actions. This can be replaced by feelings and actions of caring, compassion, acceptance, rationality, and nonviolence, or in other words, patriotism.
Nationalism has played a crucial role in world history over the past centuries. It continues to do so today. For many, nationalism is indelibly associated with some of the worst aspects of modern history, such as the destructive confidence of the Napoleon’s army and the murderous pride of Nazi Germany. Large numbers of people, descent in their hearts, have carried out unbelievable atrocities for no better reason than their nation required them to. Authoritarian and totalitarian regime have crushed dissent, eliminated opposition, and trampled on civil liberties in the name of the nation.
A typical dystopian setup, Legend engages you from the start with Day, one of the two protagonists, on the run. The most infamous and wanted criminal in the country, he tells you just enough of his story to keep you interested, but not so much that there’s nothing left to reveal. A cryptic sign leaves you wondering what’s next before the chapter switches to the other protagonist of the story, June.
Patriotism is not only loving and supporting your country but also trying you best to improve it. I believe that the word patriotism can be defined many ways. However, I believe that the dictionary definition does not do its justice. I believe that how others define it is the only true way to know what patriotism really means. Many men and women have worked to achieve the freedom and equality we have today. We should respect not only them but also what they have fought for. A way to do that is by showing your patriotism. Patriotism is in all our hearts but we have to find it first. The many definitions that we have in today’s century are all different. You must think to yourself what your true definition of patriotism means. “Patriotism demands the ability to feel shame as much as to feel pride,” a quote by Anne-Marie Slaughter. Although most people see the definition of patriotism as a good thing, it can also be shameful at the situation at hand. In conclusion, Americans know how to come together and unite for their country and show their true patriotism regardless of the
Patriotism means love of one’s country. A country, on which one is born and brought up and develops, is valuable to him than any other country. This desire for his country expands into loyalty. One who is dedicated will be willing to perform a sacrifice for his motherland. One can be a volunteer by maintaining a decent image of one’s country before the eyes of strangers. A patriot will never move down his country or analyze his government before newcomers. He will attempt to extend the best reflection of his country when he comes into touch with families of other nations. A true patriot will go to the fight with a smiling face to devote his life, if needed; he will help poor and the distressed people of his country out of empathy that results from patriotism. He will dedicate himself to the work of improvement of his own people. Patriotism is presented every day on TV, universities, etc. America has symbols that stand for our country that we love. One of famous symbols is the Statue of Liberty, which was the gift from the French.
Imagine this, George Washington strolls into the Constitutional Convention half an hour late. He reaches into his bag and pulls out a coffee stained paper that reads “U.S. Constitution” on the front. This is both a comical and disturbing view of how the writing of The Constitution could have gone if the Founding Fathers had no sense of patriotism. Patriotism is a strong sense of pride or admiration for one’s country. More than that though it is a love for the beliefs and principals of the country. In the United States, we are taught to be silent during the national anthem before we are taught to tie our own shoes. This is because families typically put so much time into teaching their children the basics of patriotism. Patriotism is important because it gives the people of the nation a sense of pride in who