What does it mean to be patriotic? opinions...Are You?

Answer 1

Feeling, expressing, or inspired by love for one's country.

Answer 2

Good question: Every person has to define patriot for him/herself. I am as patriotic as the next person but I do not wear it on my sleeve. If I was called to put my life on the line for the USA and I felt it made sense to do so; I would do it.

I feel our military are in Iraq only because Bush and his cabinet lied to the Nation and Congress. Is Bush a patriot? Not in my estimation. I think he should be impeached and removed from office in disgrace and not given all the perks of and ex-president or the pension: Bush has cost our country enough in lives and money and he should live his life out in shame and isolation.

Answer 3

I think I am patriotic because I do what I can to tell people how evil the Bush crime family is. I do this in the hope that I am adding one little bit to assist their demise. These people are evil and must not only be impeached, but prosecuted criminally, including for treason. They need to be used as an example to show what happens to criminals, even when they are the (unelected) "President". They need to be behind bars for the rest of their lives. This is for the good of our country.

Answer 4

Take your pick:

"Patriotism means to stand by the country. It does not mean to stand by the president or any other public official, save exactly to the degree in which he himself stands by the country. It is patriotic to support him insofar as he efficiently serves the country. It is unpatriotic not to oppose him to the exact extent that by inefficiency or otherwise he fails in his duty to stand by the country. In either event, it is unpatriotic not to tell the truth, whether about the president or anyone else"
- Theodore Roosevelt, 26th President of the United States

Declaration of Independence, Patriotism quotes:
But, when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object, evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security.

Dwight D. Eisenhower, Patriotism quotes:
Here in America we are descended in spirit from revolutionaries and rebels -- men and women who dare to dissent from accepted doctrine.

Sidney Hook, Patriotism quotes:
To silence criticism is to silence freedom.


Thomas Jefferson, Patriotism quotes:
God forbid we should ever be twenty years without such a rebellion. The people cannot be all, and always, well informed. The part which is wrong will be discontented, in proportion to the importance of the facts they misconceive. If they remain quiet under such misconceptions, it is lethargy, the forerunner of death to the public liberty. ... And what country can preserve its liberties, if it's rulers are not warned from time to time, that this people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to the facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time, with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is its natural manure.

Patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel.
Samuel Johnson

Patriotism is the virtue of the vicious.
Oscar Wilde (1854-1900)

Patriotism is your conviction that this country is superior to all others because you were born in it.
George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950)

Answer 5

I am Patriotic. Patriotism is to love your Home-Land

Answer 6

Patriotism is feeling pride for one's country and ensuring that the leaders of the country live up to the morals, ethics and culture - where is nationalism is the unwarranted belief that your country is is always right

Answer 7

I think it means standing up for your country and showing a certain level of pride in it. It does not mean blind obedience and unquestioning it policies. I would say that I am patriotic in that I love America and what it could become not what it is now.

Answer 8

It depends on who you ask. The nationalists will tell you that patriotism is "doing whatever it takes to make your nation stronger." The libertarians will tell you that patriotism is "doing what preserves personal freedoms." It's entirely based on opinion.

Answer 9

well according to Charles De Gaulle one is a patriot when the love for your people comes first whereas nationalist is who his hatred for the others always proceeds.So it depends on how much your judgment is affected by your fears & prejudjices.

Answer 10

Websters defines patriotism as:

"love for or devotion to one's country"

(sounds good to me)

Answer 11

I agree with Bill Maher and Mark Twain:

Traitors don't get to question my patriotism. What could be less patriotic than constantly screwing things up for America? You know, it's literally hard to keep up with the sheer volume of scandals in the Bush Administration. Which is why I like to download the latest scandal right onto my iPod. That way, I can catch up on this week's giant screw-up on my drive in to work. In fact, Bush has so many scandals, he could open a chain of "Bush Scandal" theme restaurants. "Ooh, should I get the Harriet Miers meatloaf or the Katrina crab cakes?

You know, not to generalize, but the 29% of people who still support President Bush are the ones who love to pronounce themselves more patriotic than the rest of us. But just saying you're patriotic is like saying you have a big c**k. If you have to say it, chances are it's not true.

MAHER: And, indeed, the party that flatters itself that they protect America better is the party that has exhausted the military, left the ports wide open and purposefully outed a CIA agent, Valerie Plame.

That's not treason anymore? Outing a spy? Did I mention it was one of our spies? And how despicable that Bush's lackeys attempted to diminish this crime by belittling her service, like she was just some chick who hung around the CIA. "An intern, really. Groupie, if you want to be mean about it."

No. Big lie. Valerie Plame was the CIA's operational officer in charge of counter-proliferation. Which means she tracked loose nukes. So, when Bush said, as he once did, that his absolute, number-one priority was preventing terrorists from getting loose nukes, okay, that's what she worked on. That's what she devoted her life to, staying undercover for 20 years, maintaining two identities every goddamn day. This is extraordinary service to your country.

Valerie Plame was the kind of real-life secret agent George Bush dreams of being when he's not too busy pretending to be a cowboy or a fighter pilot.

CIA agents are troops. This was a military assassination of one of our own, done through the press, ordered by Karl Rove. He said, of Valerie Plame, quote, "She's fair game."

George Bush likes to claim that he doesn't question his critics' patriotism, just their judgment. Well, let me be the first of your critics, Mr. President, to question your judgment and your patriotism. Because, let's not forget why they did it to her. Because Valerie Plame was married to this guy, Joe Wilson, who the Bush people hated because he busted them on one of their bullshit reasons for invading Iraq.

He was sent to the African country of Niger to see if Niger was selling nuclear fuel to Iraq. They weren't. It was bullshit, and he said so.

Valerie Plame's husband told the truth about their lie, so they were willing to jeopardize an entire network of spies to ruin her life. Wow, even the mob doesn't go after your family.

Mark Twain said, "Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it." And I say Valerie Plame is a patriot because she spent her life serving her country. Scooter Libby is not, because he spent his life serving Dick Cheney.

Valerie Plame kept her secrets. The Bush Administration leaked like the plumbing at Walter Reed.

In the year, 2008, I really think that Hillary Clinton should run for president on a platform of "restoring honor and integrity to the Oval Office."