 |
*
"I'm
tired of being labelled anti-American because I ask questions."
-- Susan
Sarandon |
The
peace and welfare of this and coming generations of Americans will be secure only
as we cling to the watchword of true patriotism: "Our country -- when right to
be kept right; when wrong to be put right."
-- Carl Schurz
I
have no sense of nationalism, only a cosmic consciousness of belonging to the
human family.
-- Rosika Schwimmer
| You'll
never have a quiet world till you knock the patriotism out of the human race.
-- George Bernard Shaw
| 
|
| |
Moral cowardice that keeps
us from speaking our minds is as dangerous to this country as irresponsible talk.
The right way is not always the popular and easy way. Standing for right when
it is unpopular is a true test of moral character.
-- Margaret
Chase Smith |
Those
of us who shout the loudest about Americanism, are all too frequently those who
. . . ignore some of the basic principles of Americanism—the right to criticize,
the right to hold unpopular beliefs, the right to protest, the right of independent
thought.
-- Margaret
Chase Smith
| |
What
do we mean by patriotism in the context of our times? I venture to suggest that
what we mean is a sense of national responsibility ... a patriotism which is not
short, frenzied outbursts of emotion, but the tranquil and steady dedication of
a lifetime.
-- Adlai
Stevenson
Do
not... regard the critics as questionable patriots. What were Washington and Jefferson
and Adams but profound critics of the colonial status quo?
-- Adlai
Stevenson |
During
times of war, hatred becomes quite respectable, even though it has to masquerade
often under the guise of patriotism.
-- Howard Thurman
Patriotism
is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves
it.
-- Mark Twain
Each
man must for himself alone decide what is right and what is wrong, which course
is patriotic and which isn't. You cannot shirk this and be a man. To decide against
your conviction is to be an unqualified and excusable traitor, both to yourself
and to your country, let me label you as they may.
-- Mark
Twain The government
is merely a servant -- merely a temporary servant; it cannot be its prerogative
to determine what is right and what is wrong, and decide who is a patriot and
who isn't. Its function is to obey orders, not originate them.
-- Mark
Twain | 
|
World
Government is not only possible, it is inevitable; and when it comes, it will
appeal to patriotism in its truest sense,in its only sense, the patriotism of
humans who love their national heritages so deeply that they wish to preserve
them in safety for the common good.
-- Peter
Ustinov |
|
It is lamentable,
that to be a good patriot one must become the enemy of the rest of mankind.
-- Voltaire
| |
"I loathe nationalism. It
is a form of tribalism--the idolatry of the 20th century."
-- Cornell
West |
Patriotism,
the virtue of the vicious.
-- Oscar Wilde
There
are two visions of America. One precedes our founding fathers and finds its roots
in the harshness of our puritan past. It is very suspicious of freedom, uncomfortable
with diversity, hostile to science, unfriendly to reason, contemptuous of personal
autonomy. It sees America as a religious nation. It views patriotism as allegiance
to God. It secretly adores coercion and conformity. Despite our constitution,
despite the legacy of the Enlightenment, it appeals to millions of Americans and
threatens our freedom. The other vision finds its roots in the spirit of our founding
revolution and in the leaders of this nation who embraced the age of reason. It
loves freedom, encourages diversity, embraces science and affirms the dignity
and rights of every individual. It sees America as a moral nation, neither completely
religious nor completely secular. It defines patriotism as love of country and
of the people who make it strong. It defends all citizens against unjust coercion
and irrational conformity. This second vision is our vision. It is the vision
of a free society. We must be bold enough to proclaim it and strong enough to
defend it against all its enemies.
-- Rabbi Sherwin Wine
