The Activist for Activists. Author of Make a Difference with Mental Health Activism and The Happy Activist: Journey the 5-Step Activism Path to Focus Your Passion and Change the World. Teacher, Psychologist, Environmental Activist, Animal Lover.
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Last Updated on October 23, 2024
My husband and I arrived at the Farmer’s Market early, so we had a better choice of the fruits and veggies on display. The produce was lovely and I enjoyed how the farmers displayed them like works of art. Kale in a vase. Basil, oregano, and thyme in bouquets. I was smelling some lavender when I felt a tug on my sleeve and turned to find a woman I’d never met before. She leaned in to say in a whisper, “I just want to tell you I think you are brave for wearing that t-shirt here. I wish I could.” I looked down to see what I was wearing. Then I understood what she meant.
Liberal Patriot
On my shirt, in a background of red, white, and blue are the words “Liberal Patriot.” I had rolled out of bed, added pants, and headed to the Farmer’s Market without giving thought to my shirt. I used to wear it in my little Bible Belt town, but since the 2016 election, it didn’t feel safe to do so.
Now I look back up, and she continued in her soft whisper, “My family doesn’t agree, but I think I can be a Democrat and a patriot.” She peered back over her shoulder. “Well, I gotta go, in case they are wondering where I went.” She scurried off. I finished picking out my vegetables. Shoulders hunched, I asked my husband if we could leave. I felt exposed.
My friend Owen gave me that shirt back during W’s administration. I loved it because I’ve always felt like a patriot, even if I hold liberal values about social justice. I decided to check back in with Owen. It’s been many years and several presidents since he made the shirt and I wondered about his motivation for having done so. He talked about liberals being vilified on talk radio and added,
“What pushed me over the edge was a conversation I had at work with an engineer who believed 100 percent that liberals wanted to destroy the country.”
Owen replied that no, he did not. His coworker replied, “I don’t mean you.”
“Yes you do,” Owen remembers saying, “since I’m a liberal.” and he went on to explain how hurtful it was to be accused of treason just because he thought the government should do more and not less.
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Partisan Differences on What’s Considered Patriotic
A June 2018 YouGov poll clearly illustrates how differently members of the political parties view patriotism.
FiveThirtyEight.com suggests that the typical public displays of patriotism, such as military fly-overs and singing “God Bless America,” are more acceptable to Republicans than to Democrats.
“Even apple pie and baseball aren’t the unifiers they once were: Pumpkin pie beat out apple as Americans’ Thanksgiving dessert of choice in 2015, and football blasphemously beat out baseball as Americans’ favorite sport to watch, 37% to 9%. In sum, we’re a big country, and there are just as many ways to enjoy America as there are Americans.”
Is Patriotism Partisan?
Even on the left, we disagree about patriotism. My definition of patriotism is not the same as my son’s, a Bernie supporter. He calls patriotism a “duplicitous relabeling of nationalism.” Was the American Revolution just about taxes, as he claims?
I see patriotism as honoring a country’s ideals. The people who fought in the revolution put their lives on the line for a better, freer life. And they crafted documents designed to allow fundamental civil rights. I’ve always thought that most Americans have similar patriotic ideals but differ in how we see those ideals playing out in our lives.
The good news for me is that Owen is going to redesign the t-shirt. And I am going to wear it in public. Because I am a patriot. A liberal patriot.
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