You Don't Have to like the President to be Patriotic

     The New York Times recently had an opinion piece titled please Stop Telling Me America is great. The piece speaks to everything that is wrong with America in their view. After reading and watching the video I started wondering if we would be having the same discussion if Hilary Clinton had won the election of 2016? We hear extreme views from the talking heads on the major news networks. We hear extreme discourse towards the country and the president from CNN, MSNBC, NBC and we hear extreme positivity from Fox news. But I believe we are hearing rhetoric from the loudest talking heads and not the pure unadulterated facts from the media. Our 24 news cycle has appealed to our emotions, but not necessarily truth on all accounts.  The Walter Cronkite style of news has turned to opinionated talk shows and radio. The reality of news today is the factual truth lies somewhere in the middle.

     The fourth of July has come and gone and there were many articles and opinions floating around the net and on talk radio regarding patriotism and how Americans are feeling on the subject. Are we still the best country in the world? I believe we are.The people who have a negative feeling towards our country are not really unpatriotic, but dissatisfied with the current president. I think those that are currently not feeling the love for our country are confusing patriotism with disappointment on the election, two very different things. You do not have to like the president to be patriotic. The definition of patriotism according to Dictionary.com is devoted love, support, and defense of one’s country. Nationalism is taking the love of your country a step further and is a state where you feel your country is better or superior to other countries.

     I remember when Bill Clinton was in office and I thought the Monica Lewinsky scandal was the end of the world. How in the world could the president of the United States of America behave in such a way? How could an American president be impeached and not leave the office? Still with my dislike of Bill Clinton I still felt patriotic. I did not agree with his antics and I did not agree with his polices yet I still flew my American Flag on the fourth of July and other federal holidays and I still stood at sporting events to sing our national anthem. I thought we were the best place in the world to live. I’ve liked certain presidents more than others and there have been some that I did not care for at all. Yet, in my heart I’ve always felt the United States is my country and where I want to be. I’ve never felt unpatriotic or ashamed to say I’m an American regardless of what a president says or does.

    Where else can we have discussions about our leaders without serious repercussion? As a woman I can go to school, apply for a job and be employed, walk down the street freely, write a blog, drive a car, and travel from state to state and virtually anywhere as long as my passport is up to date. These freedoms sound like entitlements yet in other places around the world if I were caught without a covering over my head and face I could get in serious trouble. If I lived in China I could not use social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube. We as Americans take a lot of our freedoms for granted. These are just a few of many examples regarding real freedom.

     I can still feel patriotic even if I don’t like the president. I can feel proud because my grandfather was a Navy Pilot in WWII and lost his life fighting for freedom. I feel a sense of patriotism as my brother and husband served in the Marine Corps. I feel patriotic because of our U.S. Constitution and because we have a system of checks and balances. I feel proud because we as Americans can have discussions and even arguments about politics and our likes and dislikes of politicians. We have these arguments on social media, in public, on radio waves or television without being arrested.

     I am a Health and Wellness Teacher at a local elementary school and say the Pledge of Allegiance each morning with my students. I never once have thought not to do this because of something the current president said or did. I think about how far we have come as a country and how lucky I am to be living freely each day. I don’t associate what Trump has done or said when saying the pledge with my kids. I can understand the other side of the coin here that some Americans will say that the president represents our country and some may say the current president is a bad representation therefore I do not feel love or patriotism towards my country. I would say the good news is that we have elections every four years so if you are feeling disdain or dislike of our current leader you can vote in the next election; another benefit of being an American and another reason I am patriotic.

     Megan Rapinoe and the Women’s USA Soccer team has been all over the news for their World Cup win and for Rapinoe’s statement that win or lose the team won’t go to the White House if invited by the president. Rapinoe wears the USA jersey while playing soccer. She is a leader on the team with such an amazing responsibility. Her attitude is not helping her case. She had an opportunity to go to the White House and speak to Trump who she dislikes. She could have gone and used her platform to speak to the president about her concerns. But instead of talking to the president she spoke at him using foul language and not even giving the opportunity a chance to arise. The behavior that she despises and claims that Trump uses is the very behavior she used to gain media attention. There is nothing solved here. A complaint is heard but there was no resolution. But again Rapinoe is confusing patriotism with her disdain towards the president. Rapinoe should be screaming patriotism, after all she represents our country and she gets to play soccer doing it.Her position on the team is a privilege not a right. She wears the jersey with the American flag on it. She should be proud and use her platform positively.

    I challenge anyone reading to put aside their feelings towards the leaders and politicians in this country that they do not like. Go out and exercise your right to vote. I have learned over thirty five years of voting that sometimes you get your person, sometimes you don’t. Have no fear it will change with another voting cycle, but never feel like you can’t have love of country just because you don’t have love of your current leader.