Put “patriots” into your search engine, the New England Patriots come up. What do they represent? A football team some like, others do not. They are men on the field of athletic competition battling to win the game. Do they represent anything associated with founding of the country?
Patriotism is defined, according to Merriam Webster (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/patriotism), as love for or devotion to one's country.
Noah Webster defined it: “The passion which aims to serve one’s country, either in defending it from invasion, or protecting its rights and maintaining its laws and institutions in vigor and purity. Patriotism is the characteristic of a good citizen, the noblest passion that animates a man in the character of a citizen” (The Patriots Reference, p. xiv).
A patriot is not a republican, democrat, independent but all three (to say nothing about other political party affiliations).
A patriot’s love of country is so strong the willingness to defend her honor is similar to a man willing to defend the honor of his wife. Is she perfect? No, but she is his wife. Is the country perfect? No, but “she” is our country. The failings are many, but the virtues are more.
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