Blurring
the line between patriotism and nationalism
Patriotism. What is it really? Why is it important, or is it?
Recently it seems that some view patriotism as an
endorsement of the Trump presidency. That to be patriotic is to be unyieldingly
in support of President Trump. I even spoke with someone who was hesitant to
put up American flags on the Fourth of July because he didn’t want to be
confused as being a “Trump supporter.”
There seems to be a blurring of the lines between what is better called
“nationalism” and “patriotism.” And in my opinion, they are both important
perspectives for every American to hold.
Starting with patriotism, one could argue that our country
was founded on patriotism. George Orwell defined patriotism as a “devotion to a
particular place and a particular way of life, which one believes to be the
best in the world but has no wish to force upon other people.” My
mother’s family immigrated to this country in the 1700s so that they could be a
part of building a country where religious freedom was a founding principle.
Like many immigrants for generations, they abandoned their native
language and adopted an “English only” household. In taking this step to fully
embrace the norms of America, they truly became American.
Centuries later, my father-in-law’s family immigrated from
Sweden.
They were so determined to be American that no Swedish was
ever spoken once they set foot in America. My father-in-law, who was by
definition Swedish, never learned a word of the language.
What glued these varied immigrant communities together was their strong
devotion to becoming American. They were all willing to abandon practices from
their country of birth to adopt new American practices.
United, they built a country where their varying beliefs
were respected and yet replaced by the new American fundamentals.
These Americans were
and are the most patriotic and nationalistic people I have ever met.
Their pride in being an American runs deep. Many served our
country in wars driven by an intensely strong desire to protect and preserve
our values. And this is where we began to blur the line between patriotism and
nationalism. While we as a nation became more solidified in our national
direction, we also became one of the most powerful nations in the world. This was powered by American ingenuity and nationalism and produced a
complex national identity.
Nationalism is the glue
that holds our varying beliefs together into one country.
It is what helped create an American identity. Over the
centuries the subsequent generations of immigrants blended ideals and beliefs
into a common concept. This became the American way of life, the American dream
for some. It also firmly planted in us the desire to believe that this way of
life is superior. We commonly agreed not to endure oppression or dominance by other
nations or even the wealthy and politically powerful.
This last point is what
people tend to forget.
The opening of our Constitution says it all, “We the People
of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice,
… promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves
and our Posterity...” We the people. Not the rich, not the powerful, not the
bullies, the people. Just regular folks who generally fear God and don’t shy
away from hard work in pursuit of their personal goals and dreams. Immigrants.
This is also where we
seem to be getting stuck as a nation. The timeless clash of the old and the
new.
Some of the people marching in Charlottesville are stuck in
an odd belief of superiority and prejudice. Relying on values that were never a
part of America’s ever-evolving identity. Never. As evidence, we have a
generation of veterans who fought the horrible inhumane actions of Nazi
Germany. American soldiers, sons and daughters of immigrants, who believed so
strongly in our way of life that many gave their own lives to protect the rights
of others.
Then there are others who boast of superiority simply
because of the color of their skin. The war relic heroes that they “honor” are
a part of our past. Part of our struggle as we blended our ideals into a common
ideal. While we should not forget that struggle, we must also remember that our
past is our past. That as a nation we decided to change. We the people decided
to change clearly declaring that we do not want to value one citizen
differently than another. And all but a handful of us are the progeny of
immigrants.
And like Charlottesville, the rancor between members of our
major political parties is mindful of the 1860s.
People are at odds with one another in a bitterly deep and confusing
manner. When people equate alliance to our nation with blind faith in
our president, there is a major disconnection.
The decision to fly an American flag on our national birthday is
nothing more than someone expressing gratefulness for being here. It is both
nationalism and patriotism. It is not a political stance. It is a custom long
honored in this nation.
Without
national pride and patriotism, our nation will crumble and fail.
There is no more room for political oppression today than
when we founded this nation. We the people are still the drivers of our future.
Together we can continue to shape our country. But as always, we must blend our
ideals in a genuine manner and not trample the principles that we have all
adopted as Americans.
Terry Sexton Segerberg is chief executive officer of East
End-based Mesa Industries
