Do you consider yourself a patriotic person? Why or why not?
Note: This started off as a comment on Kevin's QotD answer – when it got too long, I decided to turn it into a post instead.
I love America. I support the troops who are risking their lives every day in Iraq and around the world. I believe that democracy is still the best of all existing governmental systems. I take pride in being an American. I love the history of my land and the mixture of heritages and culture I can experience wherever I go.
I don't love certain aspects of America. I don't support an administration that puts troops in harm's way with only a flimsy excuse of WMDs to justify the invasion of a country they have attempted to link with the terrorist attacks of 9/11. I don't like that our democratic system seems to have double standards where Scooter Libby gets off scott-free but a young african-american boy who was involved in an altercation (where nobody was seriously hurt!!!) with racist teens his own age may end up serving 25+ years in jail due to the all white jury who convicted him in Louisiana.
Am I patriotic? Yes. I believe in America and the tenets it was founded on. I don't accept government decisions or declarations in blind faith. I question what is going on and look for ways I can help to change things. I vote in every election, and that is the minimum amount anyone patriotic should be doing.
Anyone who says you're not patriotic for not supporting the war in Iraq / the Bush administration / Republicans / immigration reform / etc. needs to remember that patriotism is more than love for a person or an administration and their beliefs – it is love for one's COUNTRY (and a willingness to sacrifice for it). You can love a country without loving everyone in it – much like you can love the works of Stephen King but hate The Tommyknockers. The people who understand this are probably as patriotic as I am. The others…well…if they're not willing to listen (and thereby sacrifice, even a little bit, for their country), maybe they're not quite so patriotic as the think they are.
