Oozing Patriotism
I am a true patriot. I always have been.
I am a red-blooded American! My patriotism
doesn’t just tip-toe along as borderline corny; I am full-blown “I love
America”, getting teary-eyed listening to patriotic music, standing at the
position of attention during the Star-Spangled Banner,
I-don’t-care-what-anyone-thinks patriotic. I don’t own t-shirts with eagles
flying around carrying the American flag or anything; but if I did, I would
totally rock them like every day!
My love for this country predates my time in the
Marine Corps. I was raised from childhood to love and cherish the fact that I
was born in such a great country. The freedoms I enjoy here--granted by the
bloodshed of past military veterans and defended by current service
members--are unparalleled throughout the world. I live not only in the greatest
nation on Earth, but the greatest nation in Earth’s history.
I have skirted the bounds of blind devotion for
just a moment to lay down for you the foundation upon which I have built my
adoration for my country. Yet, I am not blindly naive to the point that I think
my country is perfect. We struggle with poisonous politics, historical racism,
institutionalized sexism, and other forms of bigotry being hurled from both
sides of the aisle. And recently, we have seen what appears to be a move away
from what I believe to be among the most important of the freedoms established
by the Founding Fathers: religious freedom.