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I hope you’ll read this. It’s something that’s been inside me since my military service and I finally put it in writing. Probably the wrong venue, but… I’d like to encourage every American to stop, take a step back from their politics, and ask themselves an important question: 1/25

What does patriotism mean and what should it mean to our country? Red, Blue, Independent or otherwise… I’m not pushing buttons here. Think about it. Now overlay that with who we are as a nation today. It’s hard not to see that we have a problem. 2/25

Patriotism has lost its weight and its meaning where it matters most. It’s been coming for decades, but we are where we are. And the current administration is the most obvious & egregious example of my point. As an idea, the administration wields patriotism as a sword of righteousness, 3/25

used to both energize and demonize. They produce sound bites to galvanize and grow their following but do little that jibes with or works to deliver on those promises – sometimes working openly counter to those pledges. They feed us politically expedient, ever-shifting reasoning, 4/25

justifying their actions – or inaction – with foundationless claims, junk science, and media tactics designed to keep us distracted. America First. No New Wars. Make America Healthy Again. Lower Prices. Healthcare (concept of a plan). No Cuts to Medicare or Medicaid. Reduce the National Debt… 5/25

They claim half the population hates America simply because they disagree. They call concerned citizens terrorists for protesting, speaking out or defending one another. They engineer forces that bring anonymous intimidation to our streets leading to violence, deepening division, & even death. 6/25

They use slurs in true propagandist fashion to strip away the humanity of entire groups of people based on the actions of a few. Patriotism at the leadership level should be defined by actions not rhetoric. By uniting the people not dividing them. 7/25

And those actions should, without fail be rooted in the understanding that they work for us and that We, the People ARE America. Understanding patriotism should begin with the ideals that so many before us have sacrificed for, country-before-self, and occasionally humanity-before-self… 8/25

the knowledge that when the individual is raised up, we as a people rise… the belief that all Americans are subject to the same system of standards and expectations; no citizen elevated above any other in that system’s eyes… 9/25

and the idea that self-determination and a truly representative government, answering to We, the People are paramount to freedom. Based solely on the actions of the Trump Administration and MAGA believers, the current iteration of the GOP has a strange and skewed understanding 10/25

of what country-before-self looks like in practice. Their vision of patriotic leadership seems to be predicated on citizens putting their trust and unquestioning loyalty in a tight, monied circle of billionaires. 11/25

And as it’s played out, today’s inner circle is a group who, with few exceptions, did not serve in the military & often have little or no experience leading in a governmental capacity – or often at all. Under this model, these ‘select few’ believe they have been granted great power. Power to: 12/25

A. Determine whose rights, opportunities, & careers matter, B. Manage the cash flow of the wealthiest nation on the planet with little or no transparency or oversight – while gaining unfettered access to privileged information they use to enrich themselves without question or critique, 13/25

C. Manipulate and restructure the procedures of our state and federal electoral system to their favor and the favor of those willing to serve their agenda and keep them in power, 14/25

D. Unilaterally deploy and reshape the armed forces and law enforcement – at the federal and state level – in whatever capacity they deem necessary to advance their agenda, all with disregard for the lives disrupted or the cost to the taxpayer, and 15/25

E. Having been elected, expect the unquestioning deference & respect that would be granted someone with absolute knowledge & flawless judgement across science, economics, & the entire sociopolitical spectrum – regardless of their formal education, understanding, or experience in such fields. 16/25

All of this now in motion with little to no regard for Constitutional law, legal or historical precedent, convention, or consequence. In its current iteration, power flowing WITHIN this ‘circle of patriots’ is predicated on top-down loyalty and unquestioning obedience expressed through 17/25

deference to the whims and sensitivities of a narcissistic, ego-driven executive – who himself boils patriotism down to this singular loyalty. — No matter how you spin these facts (yes, they are facts), there is no world where any of this equates to patriotism by any conventional definition. 18/25

The Founders gave us the framework for a system that encourages, invites, and expects all of us to act as patriots in our own capacity – especially if we expect that system to survive and serve us. The steel of that framework lives in the 36-word preamble of our Constitution: 20/25

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. 21/25

This statement is the foundation that the entirety of the American experiment rests upon – and the first lens that all future considerations should be viewed through. It should also be the first rule of the patriot. 22/25