American Patriotism

I remember an essay I wrote when I was applying to colleges in 1972 in which I drew the distinction between what America’s Founding Fathers had intended and what the nation had ultimately become.  I recall wondering if this made me appear unpatriotic, but I dismissed the notion on the basis that, after all, this was the Vietnam War era, and the conflict was opposed by at least 90% of people my age. Their admissions departments wanted only members of the Young Republicans? Seemed unlikely.

The point: being patriotic, at least in the United States, doesn’t mean believing that your country is perfect, but that it’s worth fighting to improve.