What Makes a Patriot?

The dictionary defines patriot as

a person who loves, supports, and defends his or her country and its interests with devotion

We have many examples of such people in our nation today. Sadly, too many of them are not in positions of real power. It would seem many of our leaders fail the test of true patriotism and fall to the power of money and special interests.

A true patriot loves his/her nation, or at least what the nation once was or could be in the future. What we have today is not the nation many who think of themselves as patriots once knew and cared so much about. It is in striving to return to our roots that many find meaning in life.

In truth there are many among us today who are true Patriots in every sense of the word. Many today wonder why we find so few true Patriots among that group. Why cannot a decent human being rise to the level of national leadership and keep their moral compass intact these days? What happens along the way when a Patriot begins the process?

The pressures to bend one's principles and leave one's honor in the dust in a political campaign are many and varied. Still one need not bend. One need not sacrifice. If sacrificing one's principles is the key to winning then the process is wrong and needs a real correction.

In the end those who keep their honor intact are the greatest winners if or not they win the popular vote. Those who keep honor intact win the hearts and minds of the many they touch along the way. Those who remain honorable move the nation in small steps in the right direction. With enough of those small steps we may one day aright the nation once again.

We need a rise of true patriotism in our nation today. We need people working in the best interests of one and all, not just in the best interests of some small group. A true Patriot works for liberty and justice for ALL. Every one of us can take those steps in our own lives if we care enough to try. We can make a difference to those who surround us on a daily basis. We can initiate those small steps that move the nation to a new peak of function. The question is do we have the energy and the desire to try?

Peace