Thursday, July 3, 2025

"Patriotism consists not in waving the flag, but in striving that our country shall be righteous as well as strong."

Here we are, another Independence Day, another sinking feeling. Another year of questions, "Do I even celebrate?"

And once more, I entreat you: YES! Celebrate!

"Patriotism consists not in waving the flag, but in striving that our country shall be righteous as well as strong." – James Bryce

This year seems like the most dire yet. Our human rights are being stripped away. Brown people – citizens and migrants alike – are being snatched up by masked men; concentration camps are being built (you can't convince me that "Alligator Alcatraz" is not); billionaires are being exalted and enriched beyond comprehension at the expense of everyone else, but especially the needy; there is a war on women; LGBTQ lives are being upended; the "leader" of our country and the most powerful man in the world is rapidly decompensating in his dementia; the regime is filled with incompetent boot-lickers; our checks and balances are broken, with SCOTUS and Congress making a man a king. All that is emerging from the current regime is soundly un-American.

It is, in a word, disgusting.

It is hard to be patriotic.

But I submit: being disgusted and outraged is patriotic! The reason you feel outraged, disgusted, and less-than-patriotic is because you instill the very hope and the values that are at our base. We must not abandon American ideals now! We must, now more than ever, embrace the standards that have driven America since July 4, 1776. 

The reason we are so dismayed is because we love the country. We love its ideals, the promise of a more perfect union. We are proud when we are the envy of the world and that everyone wants to be here. We love the idea that if we keep moving forward, it will only get better. 

Those ideals are the ones to elevate this Fourth of July. Our hopes for our country have not gone away. If we let our hope disappear, then where are we? Hold the hope and put it on display tomorrow.
We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness—That to secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed....

Dig deep. Find that kind of patriotism that means supporting the country's potential, its best, its promise. We know that over the last 249 years, we've made great progress. We can't give up now; there is much work to be done. 

Patriotism means hope.
Patriotism means optimism.
Patriotism means participation.
Patriotism means effort.
Patriotism means resilience.
Patriotism means dissent.
Patriotism means resistance.

What does patriotism mean to you?

Why must we be Patriotic? Because it's hard.
“Nothing in this world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, difficulty. No kind of life is worth leading if it is always an easy life. I know that your life is hard; I know that your work is hard; and hardest of all for those of you who have the highest trained consciences, and who therefore feel always how much you ought to do. I know your work is hard, and that is why I congratulate you with all my heart. I have never in my life envied a human being who led an easy life; I have envied a great many people who led difficult lives and led them well.”
– Theodore Roosevelt, American Ideals: And Other Essays, Social and Political

So, please! Enjoy your hotdogs and watermelon tomorrow. Engage in meaningful celebrations. Spend time with friends and family. Let your heart swell as you watch the fireworks. 

Put out your flag and wear the red, white, and blue. Fly your flag for the potential it holds. It is powerful symbolism. Do not hand it over to those who would pervert it. Really? We're going to turn our flag over to the MAGAtS who "love the country" so much that they would overthrow the government? 

No. Reclaim the flag. The shame is on the other side. (David Bowie, "Heroes")

Engage in some introspection and self-care. Dig down and find your strength as individuals so that we can, together, lift America out of this pit. America is filled with great people – we can bring it back out of the abyss!

As Adlai Stevenson II said, "Patriotism is not a short and frenzied outburst of emotion but the tranquil and steady dedication of a lifetime." 

And so, let us be steadily patriotic today, and tomorrow, and the day after that. Let us support the country all the time, even when the government doesn't deserve it. It is our patriotism that WILL save the United States of America.

“Do not get lost in a sea of despair. Be hopeful, be optimistic. Our struggle is not the struggle of a day, a week, a month, or a year, it is the struggle of a lifetime. Never, ever be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble.” – John Lewis


Dave Granlund





Go Team Resistance! Get in some good trouble!

Editing in a late addition. Anne Lamott wrote this piece for the Fourth of July. It's as if she were in my head. Please read.