In recent years - especially after the 9-11 attacks on America - we've begun to hear a lot about patriotism.  On one side, we have the statists who genuflect before the power of the government, hoping and praying that those they put in power will protect them.  These are the folks who impugn your patriotism and your love of country if you dare question the actions of those in power.  On the other side, we have the anarchists who rabidly assert that anything the government does is bad, and therefore they question your patriotism if you support any law or regulation, because ANY law or regulation necessarily limits their freedom to do whatever they want, and therefore is bad.

When George W. Bush was in office, those who opposed him and any policy he put forth claimed that dissent was the highest form of patriotism.  Those who supported his policies claimed that opponents were unpatriotic, that they didn't love this country enough to allow the state to protect them, that everyone has to give up some liberties in the name of security.

In 2008, Barack Obama's patriotism was questioned, because he refused to wear an American flag lapel pin, and was photographed without his hand on his heart during the national anthem.

These days, if you don't support Obama's policies, you apparently support al Qaida. Tell me again, how this is different from the "If you're not with us, you're with the terrorists" mantra of the Bush administration?

And these days, if you question the theory of anthropogenic global warming, you're apparently unpatriotic, according to Bill Nye the "Science guy."

“[T]here's more energy in the atmosphere and this is stirring things up,” Nye said. “If you want to get serious about it, these guys claiming that the snow in Washington disproves climate change are almost unpatriotic. It's really, they're denying science. So they're very happy to have the weather forecast be accurate within a few hours, but they're displeased or un-enchanted by predictions of the world getting warmer. It's really, it shakes me up.”

You know what shakes me up?  When people latch on to pettiness to question others' love for their country.

Beware, I'm whipping out the immigrant card.

I came here as a child in 1980 from the former USSR - during the Cold War.  I have a very good long-term memory.  I have memories dating back to when I was three years old.  I have memories of the Soviet Union abusing its citizens, of the authorities kicking Jews around just because they were Jews, of kids in school being brainwashed from a very young age to worship the state and shun their own desires and freedoms in favor of others.  I remember a bunch of kids in my first grade class ganging up on a little fat, Jewish boy, and beating the living shit out of him because he dropped his star on the floor - the red star with a photo of Lenin in the middle.

In the USSR, you were taught from a very young age to worship your country.  I remember the teacher in first grade asking, "Where do you live."

A small kid raised her hand and stood up proudly to reply with her head held high, "The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics."

The teacher then asked, "What is the greatest country in the world?"

And the small girl replied again, "The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics."

That small girl was me.

We were brainwashed in this fashion every single day.  In math books that proclaimed the glory of the proletariat... in history books that sang the praises of the collective... in the teacher's lectures and lessons, which taught us how to be good Soviet citizens... in field trips to museums singing the praises of the USSR...

Every. Single. Day.

I'm repulsed by those memories, because when we escaped that hell and came to the US, my eight-year-old self began to understand the true meaning of a great nation, and the true meaning of loving one's country.

I've seen forced patriotism, brainwashing and obligatory pride in one's nation. 

But I've also seen genuine love for one's country, for the principles and ideals that one's nation was founded upon and the opportunities those principles and ideals create.

These are the principles and ideals that prompted me to enlist in the Army after graduating from one of the top universities in the country, instead of going to work at some high-powered corporation, making tons of money.  These are the principles and ideals that allowed me to choose my future and my destiny, based on my own value system.

Patriotism is not the love for the government or any government official.  Those who treat the current resident of the White House as a deity or a rock star don't have the intellect or the capacity to understand that government officials are humans, imperfect and elected by other imperfect humans to carry out a job that will please no one. 

But patriotism is also not the blind hatred of any government and any government action. The government doesn't define our nation.  The principles that created this nation do.  Government officials are elected to protect those principles.  They seem to have forgotten that fact.

Patriotism is not the frothing zealotry of banning flag burning or unpatriotic speech.  Both are and should be protected by the Constitution.  Freedom is not easy.  I will quote "An American President" here, a movie that many of you will condemn as "liberal tripe," but a film that makes one very good point, despite its socialist bent...

"You want free speech? Let's see you acknowledge a man whose words make your blood boil, who's standing center stage and advocating at the top of his lungs that which you would spend a lifetime opposing at the top of yours. You want to claim this land as the land of the free? Then the symbol of your country can't just be a flag; the symbol also has to be one of its citizens exercising his right to burn that flag in protest.Show me that, defend that, celebrate that in your classrooms. Then, you can stand up and sing about the "land of the free."

Burning the American flag is reprehensible. It's disrespect to this nation and to every man and woman who died in defense of the principles that are the foundation of this nation.  It's a repugnant act.  But true freedom demands that you respect each citizen's right to be a reprehensible asshole.  True freedom demands that you stand up for their right to be offensive, repugnant and twisted, as long as their actions don't infringe on the rights and freedoms of others. 

Rights are simultaneous. Everyone has the same rights, and the exercise of those rights should never interfere with others' right to do the same.   They exist independently. The exercise of one right can never infringe upon the right of another, or it is not a right.  My right to free speech shouldn't obligate another to provide me with air time, a microphone or a stage to exercise said right.  My right to freely exercise religion, shouldn't obligate anyone else to build me a church.  That is a right.  Not being offended is not a right. It necessarily obligates others to curtail their speech, their expression and their actions to suit your subjective needs.

Patriotism is defending all rights, no matter how difficult or distasteful.  Patriotism is recognizing and loving the fundamental principles that protect those rights.  That is what our men and women in the military do every day.  Voltaire once wrote, "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."  That is the code American service members live by every day.  They have sworn to protect, not the government, not politicians, but the very fundamental principles that make us America.

Patriotism is the love of those ideals that make this nation great.  Honor, courage, freedom, opportunity and equality.  Patriotism is not blind, unquestioning worship of those in power because their words are pretty and their platitudes are powerful.  Patriotism is questioning your government... and the courage to voice those doubts.  Patriotism is not blind condemnation of government, no matter what.   Patriotism is the ability to reason and the courage to be reasonable.  Patriotism is having the self control and the discipline not to whip out the patriotism card every time another voices a view with which you disagree.

Patriotism is the deep respect for the values upon which your nation was built.  Like mercy, patriotism is not strained... Like freedom, it is not forced.  One is not to be shamed or goaded into it.  One has to choose it.

I love this country enough to view its actions with a logical eye, and to respect the opportunities and freedoms I had here to make something of my life - to respect the fundamental principles which made those freedoms and opportunities possible.  I realize that our nation underwent changes - changes that helped us abide by those principles and values - but in the end, our history has created a nation which really is what Ronald Reagan described as a "Shining City Upon A Hill." And despite the glaring faults and the idiotic decisions our politicians make, that nation is still the ideal, because of the values and principles upon which she was founded.

So to those who screech about dissent being necessarily patriotic, I say "rational" dissent is.  Dissent based on logic and reason and the courage to question government's decisions is patriotic.  Your shrill condemnations and blind zealotry are not.

To those who accuse people who disagree with the current administration's policies of essentially being traitors and supporting al Qaida, I say, put on a uniform and go downrange. Remember what you swore to protect and defend.  Be willing to die for those principles.  If you are unwilling to do that, you have no ground to condemn us and no understanding of what love of this nation truly is.

And to Bill Nye "The Science Guy," I say, your eco-zealotry is showing.  You have no integrity to question the fraud that was perpetrated on the world by the CRU and no balls to oppose policies based on that fraud.  So shut the fuck up about patriotism.  You know nothing about it.