Like a tool, patriotism can play people into doing anything. Even the president calls us out on patriotism, but contradicts it when he overrules the law to save one of his own. To be a patriot might be hard to understand, it might even be one of those undefinable words Kant described, such as love, justice, or truth.

To celebrate patriotism I thought I’d throw my opinion in the ring as to what, I think, makes a person a patriot.

Working- The act itself is what makes a person a patriot, not the reason for it. Working at a job or on a career or even a hobby gives us purpose and is rooted at the core of what makes this country the land of opportunity.

Inquiry- Asking questions really, from the exploration & exploitation of knowledge to asking serious questions of our leadership here at home and in our capital. Remember…. We’re a nation of rebels who challenged the status quo. Patriotism must be, then, the constant challenge to not fall into/or create a status quo that restricts our liberty.

Ownership- Of land, property, self, & soul. Either all of it or some of it should owned by us at all times. A true patriot has ownership of himself (as in not being a slave to another person) and must be opportunistic at all times. The “pursuit” of happiness means that if the prime opportunity arises, a patriot will carpe diem (edit 7/5) or seize the day.

Mobility- To be able to call yourself free you must be it in all forms.. be it mental or physical. Life takes mobility away from us, but a patriot makes an effort to continue on and utilize his resources in order to remain mobile.

Credit- Not just in wealth, but in authority. A rich man who is not trusted by anyone is worthless. A patriot has worth as a human being. A man of his word is what established this country, those who seek to exploit that credit (and ultimately devalue it) are not true patriots. “Street Credit” is as worthy as monetary credit.

Improvement- Evaluating yourself and improving on who you are makes you more a patriot then anything else. It’s different from the message that you must change the world. The truth is, you have a choice to do that if you want. Patriotism is opportunity, self improvement is taking an opportunity to improve, so self improvement is patriotism.

Not everybody is a patriot… Not all patriots see themselves as patriots. As free people, you have the choice to be a patriot or not. A patriot is what you think it is. I believe this country was founded on self-principals of freedom so my opinion of what makes a patriot is not based on how much duty you’ve done for others for their sake, but how much duty you’ve done for yourself and others for your sake.

Opportunity is Freedom

Let Freedom Ring on Independence Day!

~J out

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