Sejal Says, "Modern Day Politics Have Altered True Patriotism"

"The true American patriot is by definition skeptical of the government. Skepticism of the government was actually one of the platforms the current figurehead of the government ran on" (Vowell 1059).

Ever since political partisanship has begun to rise in society, the true definition of a patriot has vastly changed, and not for the better. 

What is political partisanship, you might ask? It is essentially the idea of a group of people having a strong and even blind adherence to a specific party causing a bigger distribution between politicians on the left and right of the political spectrum. 

Patriotism can be tied to partisanship as many people who are too far left or right on the political spectrum believe they are patriots but in the grand scheme of things, they are not. But once again, this idea of being a 'true patriot' is based solely on one's perspective. As mentioned earlier, political partisanship is at an all-time high so it is becoming impossible to differentiate 'patriots' from 'patri-fakes' (Yes that was a stretch, but you get the idea).

In The Partly Cloudy Patriot, Vowell redefines the term 'patriot' and claims that a patriot is someone who is skeptical of the government and tries to achieve true political justice instead of conforming to the government's views and platforms. This definition, however, is not the typical definition one thinks of when they hear the term 'patriotism'. 

Patriotism is defined as a feeling of attachment and commitment to a country, group, or party. This national pride gives a nation's people a common purpose and rallies them to support the government in times of crisis. On the contrary, patriotism also has its dangers--it can stimulate virulent nationalism, prevent fruitful policy debates, and carelessly direct a nation into destruction, pain, and sorrow. 

One very stigmatized example of blind patriotism is depicted in the fateful September 11 attack which demonstrated that preparations for reacting to the consequences of Middle East policies had not been implemented. The U.S. government and its counter-terrorism agencies continuously failed in their obligations to protect the American people. Despite the repeated failures, the American people did not challenge the narrow focus of policies that increased the terrorism against them. A blind patriotism masked the questioning of careless investigative agencies and resulted in the public being trapped by poorly conceived policies.

Due to instances such as terror attacks and chaotic national events, the definition of patriotism today is vastly different than it once was. It started off as a symbol of unity and a pledge to hold a high sense of pride for one's country. However, in today's polarized society, many people view the term as someone who blindly follows the government and the Constitution. They do so while disregarding basic ethics and to a much less degree as that seen in the past.

So the next time you hear someone mention the word 'patriot' or 'patriotism', truly stop and think about what type of patriot they are and the message they are trying to spread.