What Does it Mean to Be a Patriot?

I have some thoughts.

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Yesterday, President Trump signed an executive order asserting that America’s schools are to provide children with an education that instills “a patriotic admiration for our incredible Nation and the values for which we stand.”

The order says it is “discriminatory equity ideology” to teach children that the United States is “fundamentally racist, sexist, or otherwise discriminatory,” and that children should be receiving a patriotic education that is an:

• “Accurate honest, unifying, inspiring, and ennobling characterization of America’s founding and foundational principles”

• “A clear examination of how the United States has admirably grown closer to its noble principles throughout its history”

• “The concept that commitment to America’s aspirations is beneficial and justified”

• “The concept that celebration of America’s greatness and history is proper.”

I spent three years researching and writing a book about unsung Americans who changed the course of history. I believe deeply in the promise of America. When a reader sent me a card saying that I was a “true patriot,” I was honored.

And I think the take in this executive order is wrong.

True pride isn’t built on a lie.

Sometimes American history is inspiring, no doubt. As I said in The Small and the Mighty, with astonishing regularity, Americans have held fast to their ideals, despite the clickbait stories that portend calamity.

And at the same time: America has too often fallen short of these standards.

Both are true at the same time.

America has been just, and it has perpetuated injustice. We have been peaceful, and we have committed acts of violence. We have been – and are – good. And we have done terrible things to people who didn’t deserve it. America has been the land of the free while simultaneously sanctioning oppression.

Such is often the case when dealing with anything run by fallible human beings. Sometimes we surprise ourselves in our capacity for greatness, and sometimes the weight of regret wraps around us like a chain.

According to this executive order, the only “proper” thing to do is celebrate American greatness.

I would argue that the proper thing to do is be honest. To repent of our sins when we fall short. To celebrate when we get it right. To try to be better tomorrow than we were today.

In 1988, Congress passed HR442, The Civil Liberties Act of 1988, which was meant to take responsibility for what the United States government did to Americans of Japanese ancestry and Aleuts in Alaska during WWII. More than 100,000 people, most of whom were citizens, and many of whom were children, were forcibly incarcerated in prison camps, solely because of racial prejudice.

In fact, the bill says plainly in the introduction that the actions of the government were, “motivated by racial prejudice, wartime hysteria, and a failure of political leadership.” It gave a cash payment of $20,000 to each of the survivors.

When Ronald Reagan signed the bill into law, he spoke at the podium behind the official seal of the United States for nearly nine minutes, surrounded by members of Congress who worked on the bill. He said, “We gather here today to right a grave wrong.”

He continued that America has “all the strength in the world,” not in spite of, but because of, our “polyglot background.”

The assembled audience applauded, shouting “Bravo!” Reagan and the members of Congress, many of whom were personally affected by the executive order that required their family’s imprisonment, smiled broadly and shook hands as the cheers continued.

“This is a fine day,” Reagan concluded, waving to the crowd in his tan suit.

Say whatever you like about Reagan and his politics. But the fact remains that we can say, “Ronald Reagan’s handling of the AIDS crisis led to the death of tens of thousands of Americans,” AND, “Apologizing for our actions during WWII was the right thing to do.” Both can be true at the same time.

“Unity” does not mean we all believe the same thing.

The idea that a “patriotic” education in America is meant to be “unifying” does not mean we shy away from difficult conversations or refuse to grapple with hard truths. Unity doesn’t mean we all agree and are indoctrinated with one single set of “correct” beliefs.

It means we are all unified in our understanding of what America at her best will be: Just. Peaceful. Good. And free. This was laid out by the framers of the Constitution, and should be the north star we can look to when times are dark.

To be just, one must take sides. To be just, one must stand up against injustice. And that includes injustices that have happened throughout history and continue to happen today. Justice establishes clear expectations for behavior, and it most especially protects the rights of people who are not in the majority.

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Untruths are not admirable.

The executive order says that America has admirably grown closer to its noble principles throughout its history and that children must be taught that.

Has it, though? Wouldn’t critical thinking be better served by a careful analysis of in what ways America has grown closer to its principles, and in what ways it hasn’t?

There is an all-too-common misconception that “critical thinking” means “being critical of _____ (fill in the blank with today’s latest boogeyman).” That is not what it means. Critical thinking is a higher order intellectual skill that requires one to question, interpret, analyze, and synthesize information.

This executive order is asking for schools to do the opposite. It prescribes what the “correct” things are to learn without asking for students to interrogate that information for legitimacy.

Prescribing what things someone is to uncritically believe is called indoctrination.

A true patriot is clear-eyed. They see what their country has done. They work to take steps to correct its wrongs and celebrate what is done well.

A true patriot is honest. They know that it’s possible to love your country without pretending it is perfect and without ignoring injustice.

A true patriot wants America to be its best. Just like a good coach doesn’t review the tape of the previous game and say, “Y’all did everything absolutely perfectly, no notes,” a true patriot is willing to accept the loss when America falls short, take notes on how to improve, and do their part in getting her to the next win.

As for me and my house, these are the principles we live by. Principles that transcend party lines. Principles that transcend generational differences. Principles that stand the test of time.

What a radical idea. Join me, if you’d like.