On being a patriot: #Patriot #IndependenceDay #Covid19 #BLM #Protests #4thofJuly #GodBlessAmerica #Patriotism #USA #IStand — July 4th, 2020 felt different than any I remember in over 60 years. I wrote this to my children:
‘As you know, the Fourth of July has always been one of my favorite holidays. It’s been a time of joy, reflection, gratitude for the great land we live in and the #freedoms we’ve been given. July 4th has been a day of happiness and fun.
This year is a little different. Make no mistake, I am eternally and extremely grateful for the freedoms which we have. But this year those freedoms seem a little bit more tenuous. It seems that there is a specter, a cloud of darkness hanging over our land. And I don’t know what to do about it. Should I protest? Should I protest against the protesters?
But I do know this: That patriotism which filled my heart in previous years still burns just as bright. The difference is there is a resolve, a commitment to defend the land I love, the Country I love the freedoms we enjoy.
I always thought the attack on our country and our way of life would come from outside our borders. Now, I’m not so sure. But I will stand up for the #Constitution, for our freedoms, for our rights as humans and as citizens of this great country. I am filled with that resolve and that commitment.
God, Bless America. Please. And I hope you are all praying the same prayer. Love, Dad”
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After I sent that message, my youngest son reminded me that, what I need to stand up for most of all is #Freedom. Since then, I’ve thought much more about my responsibility as a Patriot. Part of me wants to disenage from social media, from the anger, from the arguements, from the criticism from others who don’t know me, from the verbal hate and violence. But part of me says that I need to stand up and be a voice. I need to express what I believe. I can no longer be silent.
So I will. It will be a fine line. I will try to be kind. That is what is in my heart. But I will stand my ground. I won’t back down. I will discuss, debate, and — hopefully — I will compromise on attitudes and functionality. I will learn. I will be taught. Hopefully I will teach, too. But I won’t be silent. And I won’t back down from the ultimate moral truths that God has endowed us with.
I feel a little bit like the great American patriot Patrick Henry, who said:
“Should I keep back my opinions at such a time, through fear of giving offense, I should consider myself as guilty of treason toward my country, and of an act of disloyalty toward the Majesty of Heaven, which I revere above all earthly kings.”
― Patrick Henry