Kevin’s Journal: How Can We Find Patriotism in a World of Chaos Today

A lot of conversations are being had in our country today about what is the most patriotic way to serve, and if patriotism is even the right way to react to the war in Iran. People will say wearing a uniform makes you more patriotic, while others will say refusing to fight in a war is the most patriotic thing that can be done. Both of these can be true at the same time, but it is going to take some time to determine which one is most “true.”

Fighting a war against other people should not be the only solid way to show patriotism. Someone can train to be patriotic like our soldiers, police officers, and civil servants do, or you can show patriotism by an everyday act. Patriotism can be something as simple as saluting a member of our military, paying for their meals, or writing a letter to our troops.

It should also be recognized that choosing to turn away from patriotism can be just as morally right as patriotism itself. According to Arthur C. Brooks in The Atlantic, “These threats have failed to bring out the happy patriot in us: Gallup found a seven-point drop in the percentage of Americans who said they were “extremely proud” or “very proud” to be an American from 2019 to 2020. This deterioration is especially dramatic right now, but it’s been going on for almost two decades. In 2003, 69 percent said they were “extremely proud”; last year, 42 percent did.”

In our country today, we are involved in many conflicts at home, and organizations like ICE make it seem as if we’re at war with our own country. When people say it is patriotic to serve in the military, it would be very easy to counter this argument by stating we are sending troops into battle in order to push a political agenda.

In our country, our soldiers are trained to shoot first and ask questions later. If you think about it, a lot of times terrorist groups move and act as our military does… probably because we trained and taught a lot of those groups how to fight.

People who are from the area that we are fighting in, whether it be Iran, or Afghanistan, or Nicaragua, even if they weren’t born there, folks are heavily recruited and will be given special jobs designed to act as pawns in our conflicts. Think about what that could do to somebody; having to fight against their own culture must be a very hard decision to make.

Joining the U.S. armed forces is technically a choice, but the people who are recruited more often than not come from lower income backgrounds and tough at-home situations.

According to Editorial Board Berkeley High Jacket, “A 2017 poll by the U.S. Department of Defense also highlights the financial incentive to join the military, finding that 49% of respondents say that the main reason to join the military would be to pay for future education. 44% indicated that the top reason to join the military would be pay or money.”

Everyone can be patriotic in their own way, but fighting for your country should not be the end-all-be-all patriotic act. If you fight for your values and morals and ensure your country is held to the highest standards, you are just as patriotic as a soldier.