A MILLION & ONE

PATRIOT: A person who vigorously supports their country and is prepared to defend it against its enemies or detractors. 

I owe a great deal of my patriotism to my Grandpa. At age 18, I spent the summer interviewing my “Gramps” and his war buddies. There, in the rickety basement of my Grandparent’s home, I became a witness to their stories, and to the battle wounds shared through free-flowing tears. 

The private knowledge that I earned that summer still remains intact within these old bones: the grave understanding that freedom comes with a heavy price, and that our collective freedom was paid for by a warrior’s suffering, as well as buried deep in the hearts of millions of soldiers laid to rest in honored graves.  Freedom is something I will never take for granted. 

Today, all around the world we see other people marching to the chant: “Death To America.” On our own streets, thousands march in madness to slogans that call for violence, while our local news channels broadcast visuals of the American Flag being set ablaze by mobs trimmed in Keffiyehs. Antisemitism runs rampant, while Islam and Sharia law sharply threaten the shared values of all western civilization.

These are facts that nobody can contest. It feels dark, depressing. We also know that the current political landscape of this country has created an intense divide. But, when has politics not been messy? Look at the first political story of our country where Alexander Hamilton was writing the 85 Federalist Papers, encouraging people to adopt the U.S. Constitution. The standing Vice-President, Aaron Burr, didn’t like Hamilton, so he challenged him to a dual. The outcome cost Hamilton his life and Burr his career – and I think gives us all an opportunity to learn from. 

The good Americans that I know, on both the left and the right, are brave, fearless, and smart. But, what if there wasn’t a left or a right? What is there was just a country that needs defending? A deeper divide will only lead to our destruction, and sadly, give space for a much greater enemy to attack. For me, this country is worth defending. 

I am a Patriot.