From: Richard Gold
Columbus
No King’s Day begs the question: What is patriotism?
Is it shooting artillery over the freeways of California? Is it summoning generals from near and far to do more pull ups? Is it bombing small boats in international waters? Is it turning our military against our own citizens? Shipping migrants to parts unknown?
No. These are displays – of power, of force – but not fealty to the vision of our country.
True patriotism is belief in, and adherence to the founding fathers’ vision and values – to which we pledge allegiance.
These values make this a great country as first articulated in the Declaration of Independence, then codified as the supreme law of the land in the Constitution and Bill of Rights.
That all humans are created equal.
That we are a country of laws anchored by the Constitution. We are governed by those laws. No one is above the law.
That we have unalienable rights to the pursuit of life, liberty and happiness as long as we don’t infringe on others’ rights.
That we be accorded due process and trial by jury of our peers. That we are presumed innocent until proven guilty. That we are free of unwarranted search and seizure.
That we have the right to assembly. That we have the right to religious freedom. Not one religion – the right to worship (or not) as we see fit.
The right to bear arms.
That we all have the right to free speech. Not just Charlie Kirk’s free speech. And when we believe these fundamental values – these American principles we hold dear – are at risk, we use that right of speech, of assembly, to voice our support for those American ideals. This is the height of fidelity to the Constitution, to the rule of law – to voice our concerns. Peaceably.
Government is to secure and protect these rights as representatives of the people – to reflect the people’s will.
To ensure that government reflects that will, the fathers provided for three branches of government and a system of checks and balances among them for American governance. No one branch would dominate the others. Implied was a fourth estate – the press – the right of freedom of the press- to ensure transparency of governance. All intended to avoid the oppression our ancestors fought to escape.
Of the King ‘s oppression the Declaration‘s authors wrote “he has combined with others…. for quartering of large bodies of armed troops among us, for protecting them by a mock trial from punishment for murders which they should commit on the inhabitants of these states, for cutting off our trade with all parts of the world, for imposing taxes without our consent, for depriving us, in many cases of the benefits of trial by jury…….”
So let us not confuse optics and substance. Patriotism is the fierce and unwavering defense of our Constitution, the rule of law, and the ideals upon which they rest as expressed in the Declaration of Independence.
There are no substitutes.
