–noun
1. a person who loves, supports, and defends his or her country and its interests with devotion.
2. a person who regards himself or herself as a defender, esp. of individual rights, against presumed interference by the federal government.
3. ( initial capital letter ) Military. a U.S. Army antiaircraft missile with a range of 37 mi. (60 km) and a 200-lb. (90 kg) warhead, launched from a tracked vehicle with radar and computer guidance and fire control.
In America, we enjoy many freedoms that other countries do not. One of those freedoms is the ability to openly protest the actions of our own government. The various movements that we have seen sprout up in recent years is not unlike the movements from the past.
Without these movements, we would not have civil rights or women's rights. The patriots of years past have brought us to this point in history.
So, what is a patriot exactly? The definition above seems very clear, although it can be interpreted several ways. The Tea Party Movement (TPM) has been using the term "true patriot" very liberally, although I would imagine that their definition of a "true patriot" would differ slightly from those fighting for gay marriage or immigration reform.
Before we go into what a patriot is, I think it is important to look at what a patriot is not. I would argue that a patriot is not someone who tramples on the rights of another citizen for the sake of keeping out-dated policies alive.
The problem with the TPM is that they regard the Constitution as a document that was dictated by God Himself and scrawled onto stone tablets by the founding fathers. The problem with this notion is that the Constitution is not a perfect document. In fact, it was meant only as a foundation; and what good is a foundation if you cannot build upon it? This is why there are 27 amendments to date.
Now, what I would add to the definition of a patriot is that a patriot is someone loves, supports, and defends his or her country and its interests with devotions - while openly looking for ways to improve his or her country.
The TPM's "true patriot" may fit the definition of defender, but they are ignoring the individual rights of entire demographics in order to defend against what they perceive as a threat to their own rights. I have no doubt that many of these people do truly love their country, but it is the love of a small child squeezing his or her pet to death.
As Roger Ebert tweeted, "Every time Sarah Palin uses the term "patriot," she seems to be implying she owns it and has the power to bestow it."
1. a person who loves, supports, and defends his or her country and its interests with devotion.
2. a person who regards himself or herself as a defender, esp. of individual rights, against presumed interference by the federal government.
3. ( initial capital letter ) Military. a U.S. Army antiaircraft missile with a range of 37 mi. (60 km) and a 200-lb. (90 kg) warhead, launched from a tracked vehicle with radar and computer guidance and fire control.
In America, we enjoy many freedoms that other countries do not. One of those freedoms is the ability to openly protest the actions of our own government. The various movements that we have seen sprout up in recent years is not unlike the movements from the past.
Without these movements, we would not have civil rights or women's rights. The patriots of years past have brought us to this point in history.
So, what is a patriot exactly? The definition above seems very clear, although it can be interpreted several ways. The Tea Party Movement (TPM) has been using the term "true patriot" very liberally, although I would imagine that their definition of a "true patriot" would differ slightly from those fighting for gay marriage or immigration reform.
Before we go into what a patriot is, I think it is important to look at what a patriot is not. I would argue that a patriot is not someone who tramples on the rights of another citizen for the sake of keeping out-dated policies alive.
The problem with the TPM is that they regard the Constitution as a document that was dictated by God Himself and scrawled onto stone tablets by the founding fathers. The problem with this notion is that the Constitution is not a perfect document. In fact, it was meant only as a foundation; and what good is a foundation if you cannot build upon it? This is why there are 27 amendments to date.
Now, what I would add to the definition of a patriot is that a patriot is someone loves, supports, and defends his or her country and its interests with devotions - while openly looking for ways to improve his or her country.
The TPM's "true patriot" may fit the definition of defender, but they are ignoring the individual rights of entire demographics in order to defend against what they perceive as a threat to their own rights. I have no doubt that many of these people do truly love their country, but it is the love of a small child squeezing his or her pet to death.
As Roger Ebert tweeted, "Every time Sarah Palin uses the term "patriot," she seems to be implying she owns it and has the power to bestow it."
[this was originally published in November 2010 on a now defunct blog I was writing for the FOX Illinois site]
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