Patriotism

So i thought a convo i had with Noell deserved some thought. i'm a patriot. i'm really tired of Liberals and Conservatives telling me (or eachother) that they can't be one. This all springs from today's Chapel Service that i didn't attend because i knew it was going to be one of those flavors of anti-patriotism. It seems to most far left folks, you can't be a Patriot because it means you hate the rest of the world. Yes, i'm generalizing. Bite me. And then to most folks on the right, you can't be a Patriot unless you hate the rest of the world. AHHHHHNNNNN!!!! Wrong! You can be a Patriot without thinking the rest of the world is horrible or not worthy of God's attention. Being an ardent Texas Rangers fan may mean liking your team the most, but you have to have a base appreciation for baseball in general first, besides a respect for the skill of other players in the league to appreciate the skill of your own players. You don't have to hate every other country or system of government, or the people opressed by dictatorships just to love the United States and the freedoms it stands for. Likewise, you aren't disqualified from being called a Patriot simply because you think that communism is a nice theory if you recognize it doesn't work in real life, much less with a country this size. You are no more un-patriotic if you believe Christ calls us to live a higher standard of living than our laws or system of government dictate. Patriotism is defined by a deep love for a country that gives you freedoms to express these ideas and work hard, peacefully, to see them realized, and in appreciating the men and women who fight to protect that dream and to see it realized for God's children in other places who yearn for it. THAT is Patriotism, and that is what my relatives and friends have fought and bled for. They don't serve because they think our country is infalible, nor do they hold it against anyone for not taking up arms beside them. But i'll tell you what... i am a Patriot because i love this country and all it has the potential to do, the freedom to do, the choice to do. i refuse to let anyone tell me Patriotism means hating others, or not hating others means i can't claim the title of Patriot. i'm gonna march right down the center of that because i believe this country is scrwed up, but it's the best one there is, and i support anyone whose dream is to just plain do their best to fight for freedom and defend their neighbor's right to the same...