What is a Patriot?

Question

pa•tri•ot pā′trē-ət, -ŏt
n. One who loves, supports, and defends one's country.
n. A person who loves his country, and zealously supports and defends it and its interests.
A true patriot takes civic duty and responsibility seriously.
A patriot won't weasel out of jury duty. 
A patriot takes voting seriously, as an almost sacred obligation and makes time to vote in person. Use of an absentee ballot are for those who are absent, or have other valid reasons for not voting in person.
A patriot will respect the flag to which he has pledged allegiance.
A patriot may not respect one who disrespects the flag, but will lay down his life defending the disrespectful's rights to be disrespectful.
"See something, say something"
A patriot will sometimes practice civil disobedience, but recognizes that there are limits to the behavior that will be tolerated under the guise of civil disobedience .
A patriot will salute our armed forces during a parade. 
A patriot will be respectful and even offer up gratitude for their service during chance encounters.
A patriot will proudly display the flag on national holidays.

Houdini · Accepted Answer

Did I wander into the "ask and answer your own question" webpage?

Ted K · Answer

A true patriot is NOT the one who loudly tells you what a patriot they are.

The meatheads who staged an insurrection at the capitol on Jan 6 were NOT patriots.  They were just a gang of fat, stupid shitheads with too much time on their hands.

And those fat, stupid shitheads are STILL making overt threats--THAT'S why there have to be Nat'l Guard troops in Washington--to protect our elected representatives from you stupid shitheads who have more guns than teeth, and more rage than brains.

But this is typical of the right--create a problem, then whine like babies when there are consequences, pretending that you're being "victimized."  Fvck you.

busterwasmycat · Answer

Your definition leaves out loyalty to the country as part of the definition.

The argument here, though, is not the meaning of the word itself.  It is about what the patriot thinks the country is.  A person can feel patriotism to the land and believe themselves patriotic, but they are not even close to a patriot when they do not accept anything about what the country actually is and stands for.
I don't see how voting or not voting, or how (in all senses of the word) the person votes when they do vote, has a single thing to do with whether they believe in their country (are a patriot) or not. Patriotism also does not include fealty to the armed forces. They are no more the country than the average civil servant; they are employees of the nation, not the nation itself.  We do not have royalty in the US.  We respect the members of the military because they are willing to sacrifice for us, and not because they are the country or its essence.  When you worship the military over the citizen, you defy the fundamentals of the nation, you are not a patriot. You simply support power for the sake of power.

It is easy to say "I love my country".  Ahh, but what is it you think that your country is?  A place for white christian nationalists?  That is the opposite of what I think the country is, and I point to the founding documents, the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution, as proof.  If you do not believe in equality in rights and law for all citizens, then you are a traitor, not a patriot.  You can pretend all you want that you are the true patriot, but you still are a traitor to the country. Your fealty is not to the nation, not a belief in the country and what it stands for.

Kieth · Answer

So, by your biased interpretation, a person who believes that alien shape shifting Reptilians are controlling our government, they should attack the capitol building in defense of their nation?

Anonymous · Answer

To me, a patriot is someone who loves the people who live in their country.

What is a Patriot?

5 Answers