Thursday, February 14, 2008
Jonny Hirschi: "Patriotism means supporting your government in times of war."
Patriotism means loving and supporting your country. I believe that a true citizen has no obligation to blindly support their government's decision. A true patriot should analyze and formulate their own opinions, for it is this active participation that really benefits the nation. With regards to the Iraq War, I am totally against the policies that led to the non-justifiable debacle. However, by being a true patriot, I want those US soldiers to be home with their families and not risking their lives for a pointless war. Being in this war is not what's best for the country, so all real patriots should oppose it. Therefore, if a patriotic citizen feels that their government is not positively leading the country that they love, it is their right and duty to stand up and have their voice be heard. Passive, submissive citizens will never help the country.
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9 comments:
I agree with Jonathan. Being a true patriot does not mean blindly supporting your country. It means knowing what your country is capable of, and seeing that some things ( such as pointless wars) are doing no good for your country. Not supporting a war your country is participating does not mean that you don't love your country.
(Jada Wittow)
Aidan Lawrence-
Deep Thoughts - 1984 said...
Exactly. To be a patriot, one is required to love your country, not the government. You can disagree with the government all you want and still be a patriot.
I agree with John. Being patriotic is supporting and wanting what is best for your country, whether that is war or not. And rarely would war be best for a country.
-Nick
Sam Johnston:
I agree that patriotism is a loyalty to your country, and not necessarily to the government. The act of supporting fellow citizens and our societal values is far more patriotic than blind following of the government.
Passive, submissive citizens will never help their county. That is a really good way to put it. A true patriot wants whats best for their country. Turning a blind eye when you disagree, and keeping your mouth shut, doesn't help.
-Georgia Jamieson
This is absolutely true. America could never have become how it is today without freedom to protest decisions made by the government. Nothing - a person, an idea, a country - can improve without steady constructive criticism of its faults. It would be unpatriotic to support a government's decision to enter into an unnecessary, unwarranted war - because such an act can and will only move our country backward. Rather, it would be the best thing for our nation to do all that we can to keep a war like those in Vietnam or Iraq from ever happening again.
-Hannah Walhout
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