What is "patriotism"?
Most dictionaries define "patriotism" as being a love for one's country.*
I've looked at definitions of "patriotism" in several well-established and respected dictionaries.
There was no mention of flags.
There was no mention of anthems.
There was no mention of pledges.
There was no dispute over hands over hearts or knees bent in solidarity.
There was no description of uniforms, medals or badges.
There was no requirement for weaponry, war or destruction.
There was no mention of citizenship, no immigration status.
There was only the word "love".
Loving one's country is bigger and deeper than any trappings of cloth, song or words.
Loving one's country is passion and pain.
It's personal and deep.
Loving one's country is imperfect and messy.
Sometimes loving one's country means saying "I loved my country"
and leaving it behind
because the people in power
betrayed
abused
mistreated
murdered
the people they were supposed to protect.
In the end
a flag is no more than cloth.
In the end
an anthem is no more than a song.
In the end
a pledge is no more than words.
In the end
true patriotism,
true love for one's country
comes from accepting the people who make up that country-
-all the people
whether or not you
understand them
agree with them
or even like them.
Patriotism comes from
accepting that these people stand alongside you
right now,
accepting that they have rights
like you,
have jobs and lives and love
like you,
accepting that they struggle with
hardships
like you
in the country that you both
are trying to love.
If you cannot accept the people
all the people
who,
like you,
are the beating heart of this country,
then you
my friend
are not patriotic.
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*When I want to take a close look at anything, I start by looking at how it is formally defined. And what better place to look for formal definitions than the dictionary?
So when I woke up this morning considering the sticky, touchy, uber-American word patriotism, I began with the dictionary.
The Cambridge English Dictionary, published in the UK, defines patriotism as "the feeling of loving your country more than any others and being proud of it" and then goes on to share the typical thesaurus synonyms for "patriotism" which include chauvinism, isolationism, nationalism and jingoism. (2)
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary, published in the U.S., defines patriotism as "love or devotion to one's country". It then goes on to list typical synonyms for "patriotism". These include words similar to those listed in the Cambridge English Dictionary, such as chauvinism and jingoism. However then the listing takes an interesting turn to include such words as allegiance, devotion, faithfulness, loyalty and passion. (1)
I read each of these entries a few times.
Do you see what I see?
The Cambridge English Dictionary shines a troubling, even negative light upon the word "patriotism". The very definition lays out the inherent self-centered heart of the word. The synonyms are just icing on the cake really.
But goodness me look at the Merriam-Webster definition. It pays only the scantest lip service to the negative connotations of "patriotism", and then goes on to inflate the word to epic, golden proportions.
It is said that only the winners write the history books...that only power and might are given the figurative and literal pen.
It looks like the same can hold true for dictionaries.
Curious.
Sources
1. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/patriotism
2. http://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/patriotism
