Patriotism that Endures

I have never engaged in those "my party is more patriotic than your party" type of debates. I find that type of rhetoric, when engaged in by the accusing party, to be malicious and irresponsible. On the other hand, some people claim that their patriotism is being challenged as a means of cutting off genuine policy debates. If I say that your plan is bad for America, I'm not calling you a bad American: I just think your ideas are wrong.

All of that being said, I find this article to be bizarre. It claims that liberals are suddenly finding the patriotic spirit now that Barack Obama has been elected and George Bush will soon be banished.

I didn't agree with President Bush half the time, and I expect to agree with the President elect even less, but love of country does not depend on agreement with a current administration or political trend. That is not to say that patriotism is an expression of the idea "my country right or wrong." Sometimes, it is the pained love of one who weeps because he believes the country is wrong, and he feels compelled to say so. However, the love remains.

I don't anticipate any further discourses on patriotism. Again, I generally find the subject beyond the pale of political debate.