To be or not to be…

Are you patriotic? What does being patriotic mean to you?

Patriotism, what is it? Do I have it? It’s seems like an easy enough thing to know about ones self. Yet, much like everything else in this life, it’s not a simple definite answer.

I might not meet the criteria of some to call myself patriotic. I bleed red, not red, white, and blue. I simply don’t compare to those willing to do anything and everything for their country.

I’m grateful to be born in America and I can’t imagine it any other way. However, I don’t know if I’m of the mindset it’s head and shoulders better than everywhere else. In addition to a lack of arrogance, an unwillingness to die for my country may also suggest I’m lacking patriotism. It’s not so much that I don’t love my country enough to die for it. It’s more about the reasons I would need to. Instead of having the belief of righteousness and a can’t do wrong country. I believe America is capable and guilty of doing some shady shit. So I’m hesitant to run to the front lines for a potentially bullshit reason. Some may be offended that I don’t utilize my right to vote to it’s fullest extent. “You have to vote, it’s a right and a duty“. I couldn’t disagree more. Sure it’s a right. But I feel it’s my duty to not fill out a ballot with ignorance. America basically has a two party system. (I could go on for hours about how shitty of a system it is). Basically we’re told to choose a side and wholeheartedly roll with that side. Often times people will fill their ballot with every vote checked in favor of their respective party. Whether it’s a person or a law, it doesn’t matter. Yet, they consider themselves fulfilling their duty to democracy. On the flip side, I consider not voting on shit that I literally know nothing about as a fulfillment of my democratic duty.

I may not appear patriotic to some. There are plenty of reasons to support their reasoning. I couldn’t argue with them. Even though I consider myself more human than American, I still consider myself patriotic. God bless, who or whatever yours is, be blessed.

A few reasons I may not be perceived as patriotic: