Why I Don’t Call Myself a Patriot

Like most kids growing up in the ’50s, I recited the Pledge of Allegiance every morning in class and sang “God Bless America” and “America the Beautiful” in school assemblies. I was conditioned to believe that the United States was the best country — superior to any other because of our democracy, equality and freedom.

What I was learning was not just patriotism — love for one’s country — but nationalism — belief in national superiority.

Today, I don’t call myself a patriot, not because I have anything against the United States per se. I’d feel similarly if I’d been raised in Britain, South Korea or Morocco. Rather, I believe it’s a slippery slope from patriotism to nationalism, which is what led to Nazi Germany, the Yugoslav Wars and, closer to home, the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II.

I’m deeply grateful for many aspects of the U.S.: the Constitution, for example. Although flawed, it was a remarkable document for its time. And national parks, to name another.

But pride is another thing entirely. Human beings have proven throughout history that we often aren’t rational or honest enough to catch ourselves on the slippery slope from patriotism to nationalism. This is why I’d rather say I’m grateful for many things about the United States, rather than proud of them. Louisa Rogers is a writer gratefully living in Eureka.