Patriotism: A practice

By QAROL PRICE

“Patriotism must be founded on great principles and supported by great virtue.” — Henry IV of England.

School is out for the summer for Johnston County Public Schools, but attention to character is still in session as we find that Patriotism is being featured in the month of July.

To their credit, the school system has appointed an official character trait for all months of the year, including this month when classrooms are vacant! Though they won’t be seeing patriotic-themed bulletin boards in classrooms and hallways, students will, nonetheless, be left to make some kind of sense of the red, white and blue holiday hoopla that breaks out all around them in July.

American flag-themed plates, napkins, swizzle sticks, beach towels, hats, jewelry, cakes, pies and breakfast cereals, all in their own way, celebrate national pride. And if those visuals were not enough, the day literally ends with a bang — several colorful ones — to give proof “that our flag is still there!”

What can a child surmise about the carnival-like atmosphere surrounding the Fourth of July? My own childhood memories recall the joy of gathering with friends and family to swim, play lawn games, sing and dance together and chow down on copious amounts of grilled burgers and hot dogs. Those times left a great impression on me and were about as transcendent as it gets for a kid. At age six, I understood that we were celebrating our country’s birthday, but little did I know that all the merriment and fireworks are about something deeper — as holidays usually are.

Independence Day, most certainly, is a high holy day for patriotic American citizens. It has all the earmarks of the holiest of holidays. The word “holiday,” in fact, means “holy day,” which signifies a religious or sacred anniversary that is often accompanied by a festival.

Traditionally, holidays are not just days off from work; they are days of reflection upon the principles that are in play for the occasion. Independence Day is a sacred anniversary for many reasons, one of which is the fact that the very identity of our nation is composed of noble principles set forth in the Bill of Rights and the Constitution.

When we venerate our country, we are not venerating our government or its leaders; we are venerating the principles that our government is sworn to uphold, principles that men have died for, principles which ultimately must be protected by We the People, lest tyranny rule the nation.

True patriots do not have blind allegiance to their country. They serve the country’s ideals whether or not their current government does.

The Bill of Rights Institute put it well when they stated: “The maintenance of our republican government requires the people be vigilant, informed, and virtuous, ensuring that governing institutions are directed towards their right ends. Good habits, or virtues, promote self-government and help guarantee that communities orient themselves towards advancing the spirit of a common purpose.”

Vive la Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness!

Next Month: Self-Discipline

Qarol Price is a writer and educator. She has taught philosophy to children in Johnston County Public Schools and in Harlem in New York City. She is a resident of Selma.