Attitudes, values and principles that help hold this country together:

  • Sense of shared membership

  • We’re all in it together

  • Inclination to consider and contribute to the common good

  • Willingness to sacrifice for the common good

  • The American Project, a work in progress

  • Home and community

  • Civic responsibility*

  • Patriotism**

What’s not necessary:

  • Unmitigated pride in America’s past

  • Feeling superior to other countries

  • Feeling superior to other cultures

  • Not caring much about the rest of the world

  • Not caring much about nonhuman species

--

* This from a Tennessee State University document titled Defining Citizenship and Civic Engagement:

“Attempting to define civic responsibility can be a daunting task because of frequently overlapping constructs, values, and interpretations. Indeed, the very mention of the term civic responsibility evokes notions of what it means to live in a democracy, in addition to the complementary ideas of citizenship, social responsibility, civic engagement, and community involvement. [But here goes…] Civic responsibility means active participation in the public life of a community in an informed, committed, and constructive manner, with a focus on the common good.”

** A few years ago I did a search on how regular people viewed patriotism. Here’s a sampling of what I found:

Patriotism loves country while recognizing its flaws and working to make it better. Patriotism loves country while acknowledging other cultures. What patriotism means: Guardian Readers 

To me, patriotism means …loving and believing in a country and especially the people in a country. It means celebrating the five main ideals of the United States: equality, rights, liberty, opportunity, and democracy. Without these ideals, people would divide under their differences. What does patriotism mean to you? Essays from Vail Valley high school students  

Patriotism is shown through respect of these values every single day. We believe in the people who surround us, the ones who aren’t like us and the ones who are, because we believe in equality. Standing up for others and standing up for ourselves is a patriotic act which shows that we believe in important rights in our country, such as freedom of speech and religion, and the rights to help others rise above obstacles like discrimination. What does patriotism mean to you? Essays from Vail Valley high school students  

Patriotism can mean serving your country as a soldier, but it can also mean serving your country through small deeds such as helping out your community, leading others, and wanting to make your country and your world the best it can be. To me, patriotism means that you love your country, the people in it, and completely participating in every possible experience and opportunity that arises by being associated with that country. Through the expression of patriotism by respecting our country’s ideals, we unite under our similarities instead of dividing under our differences. What does patriotism mean to you? Essays from Vail Valley high school students