Photo from Southern Arkansas UniversityPatriotism. Noun. Love for or devotion to one’s country.
Upon reading that word, vivid imagery was probably triggered in your mind. You may have thought of the Fourth of July, a fighter jet flyover at a football game, or good old Uncle Sam.
But “patriotism” is often thrown around in shallow terms, neglecting the values the American flag truly represents. Many Americans need a reminder that the flag and our national anthem are mere symbols that represent something deeper: a system of values meant to be practiced in the United States.
Take, for instance, the case of Colin Kaepernick. The then-starting quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers made headlines in 2016 when he kneeled during the national anthem before games as a means of protesting racial injustice in the United States. As a result, Kaepernick became a pariah for what was a perceived disrespect of the American flag, the national anthem — and America itself. Despite leading the 49ers to the Super Bowl in 2012 and passing for over 3,000 yards in both the 2013 and 2014 seasons, Kaepernick never played in the NFL again after his 2016 protests. He settled a collusion lawsuit against the NFL out of court, but no owner was willing to sign a star quarterback who spoke so boldly on political issues — even for a backup role.
Protest is fundamental to the core of America. It usually signals the presence of an underlying problem that is serious enough to motivate the people to take action — a “red alert” for those in charge, if you will. The desire for government accountability is why the nation’s Founders enshrined the right to speech, expression and assembly in the Bill of Rights’ very first provision. So why, then, was a man playing the most important position in America’s most popular sport accused of “hating America” for simply speaking out in protest?
Remember, America is the place where colonists unhappy with the King’s levy of a tax that came without their representative voice threw boxes of tea into the Boston Harbor. One of the rallying events for the American Revolution, the Boston Tea Party is an American staple for illustrating just how valuable our right to protest is, and what the stars and stripes on our flag stand for. If it weren’t for the Founders’ affinity for protest, we wouldn’t have the country we do today — and we’d be short at least one Tony award-winning musical. While there was much ado about Lin-Manuel Miranda’s vocals as the star of the show, I’ve not heard of anyone who left the theatre complaining that Hamilton should have been more committed to parliamentary procedure.
Now, the Christian right is trying to take the distortion of “patriotism” to a new level.
Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters is trying to commandeer the term to galvanize Oklahomans in support of his crusade to force religion upon the minds of schoolchildren. Walters recently released a video announcing the establishment of a “Department of Liberty and Patriotism” in Oklahoma. This new initiative supposedly will combat an “attack” on students’ religious freedoms and the hatred of America that Walters claims is pushed by “woke teachers’ unions.” Walters’ idea of religious “freedom,” however, sounds more like indoctrination.
Let’s be clear: The association between religious freedom and patriotism is no accident. By pairing the two under this new department, Walters wants to send the message that religion and patriotism are one and the same. The implication that those who pray are devoted to America and those who believe differently are not can be a powerful tool — but it’s antithetical to the values the United States was founded upon.
Forget, for a moment, that the U.S. Supreme Court has time and again held that our Constitution does not grant the government the right to institute prayer in schools. Cast aside the fact that this same foundational governing document does not include a single mention of the words “God,” “Jesus” or “prayer.” If we accept Walters’ definition of “patriot,” Thomas Jefferson — who famously advocated for a “wall of separation” between church and state — fails to qualify. Are we really supposed to believe that the primary author of the Declaration of Independence, the signing of which is celebrated each July Fourth, was not a patriot? Walters has it all wrong.
To understand love for and devotion to the United States, one must first understand our nation’s history, its values, and what our symbols represent. These include the right to speak out against injustice and the right to practice whichever religion you choose, or none at all. Love and devotion to these principles is, by nature, love and devotion to the United States. That, my friends, is patriotism.
