"Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel."
-Samuel Johnson

Not everyone is as optimistic as the feelings expressed in my previous post, however,when speaking of patriotism.

Advocates of "patriotism as the last refuge of a scoundrel" believe such a theory not because there is no such thing as genuine patriotism, but more owing to the fact that its meaning and utilization tend to get obscured with all of the garbage out there on the topic. More often than not, people appeal to patriotism to justify principles that they can't reasonably support by any other means.

It is my belief that patriotism is an “allegiance” (if I may) to a particular place and a particular way of life, which one deems (in their personal opinion) to be the finest (for their particular situation) in the world but which most have no wish to force upon others. When defined as “a love for and dedication to one’s country”, patriotism can only work to make us stronger as a united nation.

The national government may have the ability to speak for a country but it is the duty of a nation's citizens citizens to speak out when convinced that their country is following a foolish or unjust action. One must not conform to all of government’s policies and actions simply because they are the norm.

I consider true patriots to be those individuals willing to fight against those who pilot us (the people) down a slippery slope to losing liberty, those brave enough to fight for what’s right for the people when the government has no clue. Others are only the cowards who follow the path of least resistance and naively assume that all is well.