I remember my uncle (an American who had just moved back to the U.S. from Mexico) asked me once what the word/idea "freedom" meant to me. I was in college. Despite my work with Amnesty International and other social justice projects over the years, I wasn't really sure. I had never experienced its opposite, bondage?, in any real sense.
I wonder now, what the word/idea "patriot" means to me. Like freedom, patriot is a word that resonates with many Americans. Freedom is a buzzword for "democracy." But what does "patriot" really mean? In the gut. What does it mean within the context of our democracy?
Depending upon one's cultural conditioning, the meaning of "freedom" or "patriot" or even democracy will differ.
What do these words mean to you? Are they more than mere words, as is the hot question these days of botched primaries and everything at stake?
Can one be an American patriot (in theory) and live outside the Stars and Stripes? How about an American who doesn't believe in war? Can she be a patriot?
What are the requirements for being a patriot? Isn't it enough to love one's country?
3 years ago
No comments:
Post a Comment