Somehow Trump followers have taken to referring to each other as Patriots. That is nice, but the way it is presented it suggests that “they” are the Patriots and “others” are not. The implication is that if you are not a Trump follower, you are not a Patriot. This is just short of saying you are disloyal, not a true Republican, or are a traitor.
Patriots are people who take an oath to support and defend our Constitution. That means that they agree to potentially risk their life to defend someone else’s rights. Those rights are most often the right to free speech, and the right to freely practice or not practice religion. The most impressive aspect of this selfless commitment is that the speech and religion practiced are not necessarily the opinions or faith of the patriot. If that does not register with you, let’s try again. A patriot will defend with their life the rights of another, even if they do not agree with the person’s speech or practice the person’s religion. “I disapprove of what you say, but will defend to the death your right to say it.” Can you commit to that?
Equally offensive is the way that Trump supporters have taken ownership of the American flag. Have you seen these clowns is the Trump Trucks? The American Flag is just that. It represents all of America. It stands for Democracy and the fact that All Men (people) are created equal. Our flag does not represent right wing extremists, the alt-right, or Trump alone. Business owners have had to consider if for example, placing a flag outside of a property for sale, “sends the wrong message.” They shouldn’t have to give it a thought. This is America, not Trump World. Trump and his followers do not own the flag and they are not the only people who might be patriots. One could argue that Trumpian intolerance of others, antiimmigrant tendencies, and tolerance of, if not adherence to, alt-right ideology is un-American and as far from being patriotic as one can get.
