On Patriotism

I think this entry on the Daily Kos is a good response to an accusation from a conservative that liberals are unpatriotic.

First, the Republican:

liberals are quicker to emphasize the evil that America has had than they are to emphasize the good that America was, is, and will become. To a liberal, the significant events of America's past are not World War I, World War II, the Cold War, freedom and liberty - they are smallpox, and the Trail of Tears, and internment. Neither side denies that the favorite events of the other side happened. They merely answer the question, "Has it all been worth it?" very differently.

Now, the response:

Favorite events of the other side? The callousness of that comment is the actual divide between liberals and conservatives, conservatives can consider wars and internment as "favorite events." Necessary events? Most of them. Proud of our country for making the fight? Of course. But favorite?

No, we liberals savor events like the Civil Rights movement, the New Deal, the Alliance for Progress, the fall of the Berlin Wall.

The conservative who wrote those words is a nice fellow. Not a hater. In my opinion, his views of the world, the nation, the GOP and Bush are naive at best, and delusional at worst. But I am sure he loves our country. It would not occur to me to question that. For conservatives, that is the first charge.