Renewed Patriotism in America
At a time when patriotism is ridiculed, misunderstood, or dismissed as outdated nationalism, it is more important than ever to remind ourselves what American patriotism truly means. To be patriotic is not to ignore the flaws of our nation, but to recognize its unmatched contribution to the ideals of liberty, opportunity, and human dignity. The United States of America is not perfect, but no country in human history has done more to protect and promote freedom, both at home and around the world.
The foundation of America is not based on race, class, or royalty, it is based on a revolutionary idea, that all humans are created equal and endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights. This idea, written into the Declaration of Independence in 1776, was unprecedented. It didn’t guarantee instant equality, but it laid the legal and moral foundation for it. The Constitution followed in 1787, establishing a framework where power would rest with the people and not with monarchs or dictators. The Bill of Rights then ensured that freedom of speech, religion, assembly, the press, and the right to bear arms would never be subject to the impulses of rulers. These were not just privileges. They were protections.
Critics often point to slavery as proof that America was never great. But this narrative ignores an undeniable historical fact: slavery existed long before the United States did. The first African slaves were brought to the colonies in 1619, when the land that would become the United States was under British rule. America inherited slavery; it did not invent it. What America did do was abolish it, through war, sacrifice, and principle. It was the U.S. Constitution that provided the blueprint for the Thirteenth Amendment, which formally ended slavery in 1865. It was an American president, Abraham Lincoln, who signed the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. It was American ideals, expressed in the Declaration of Independence, that abolitionists used to justify and demand freedom for all people.
The record of American heroism is not limited to our own borders. In World War II, American troops helped liberate Nazi concentration camps, freed nations in Western Europe, and ended the brutal occupation of Guam and the Philippines. When South Korea was invaded by the North in 1950, it was American troops who fought and died to repel totalitarianism. In the Balkans, in the Middle East, and during the global war on terror, America has repeatedly stepped forward not to conquer, but to protect and to restore.
Domestically, Americans enjoy rights that billions around the world can only dream of. The right to speak freely without fear of imprisonment. The right to protest openly in the streets. The right to start a business, buy land, build wealth, or criticize our own government. The right to practice or reject religion without state interference. These freedoms are not theoretical. They are real, and they are enforced by law. They are protected by the same Constitution that has endured longer than any other written governing document in use today.
To be patriotic is to honor these freedoms. To stand for the flag is to remember the men and women who gave their lives so that others might live free. That flag has been draped over the caskets of service members, firefighters, and police officers who died protecting not just people, but principles. Patriotism is not about blind loyalty to a political party. It is about recognizing the cost of freedom and refusing to take it for granted.
No country is perfect. But if we lined up all the nations of the world and measured them by the rights they protect, the freedoms they offer, and the sacrifices they’ve made for others, the United States would stand above the rest. It is not arrogance to say so. It is truth based on fact, history, and moral record.
Now is not the time to turn our backs on America. Now is the time to renew our commitment to it. Our flag, our Constitution, and our freedoms are worth defending. Patriotism is not a threat to progress; it is the foundation that makes progress possible.
To be an American is not merely to live in a country. It is to inherit a legacy of freedom and to bear the responsibility of keeping it alive.
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Copyright © July 4th, 2025 - John A. Huguley - All Rights Reserved