By John Bossange
As the presidential campaign season heats up and we head toward Election Day, it will be important to distinguish between what it means to be an American Patriot as compared to an American Nationalist. The difference between the two is critical to understand because one is being dangerously misused to polarize our nation.
Patriotism in America has always meant a feeling of attachment and commitment to our country. For some, it is described as a love of country and loyalty towards it. The qualities of a patriotic citizen can be seen in one who obeys the law, respects authority, contributes to society and community, performs civic duties, shows courtesy and respect for the rights of others, is trustworthy and honest, demonstrates tolerance, accountability, and shows moral courage when needed.
All of these attributes are focused on the broader concept of country, nation, or a political community, and they unite us under one banner. There are many ways to demonstrate your patriotism. Key here is that patriotism is not defined by any racial, ethnic or religious ideology, but instead by America’s Constitution, its thirty two amendments, and our enduring belief in freedom, and “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” That’s made America the “shining city on the hill,” united us during challenging times, and the reason why so many people have immigrated here.
Nationalism has a long history of doing just the opposite. Nationalism is an ideology unto itself, which is based on the premise that an individual’s loyalty and devotion to a nation outweigh and surpasses other individual or group interests. Nationalism seeks to create laws supporting one national identity often based upon a combination of social characteristics such as culture, ethnicity, and religion, followed by language, political beliefs, and sometimes a geographic location.
The danger of nationalism is not just that it aims to build a single national identity, but that the nation-state itself becomes the only source of political power. In America, that view flies in the face of our ever-evolving democracy where it’s been the people who have been the source of our political power and national identity. Too often nationalism has been used to legitimize racial, ethnic and religious divisions, suppress or attack minorities, undermine human rights and democratic traditions, and fuel domestic strife. Unfortunately, we see this in America right now.
Today we are experiencing the rise of religious (Christian) nationalism, political party (MAGA) nationalism, racial (white) nationalism, ethnic (European heritage) nationalism, and even government (“deep state”) nationalism. Beliefs in a nation state ideology today range from limiting the size of government, controlling voting access in urban areas, censoring selected books, promoting the teaching of the Bible in public schools, eliminating women’s reproductive rights, and encouraging the growth of fossil fuels. These are just a few examples of using nationalism as an ideology that creates divisive, shortsighted, and unpatriotic results.
We are a much stronger nation when we behave as patriotic Americans because we become unified under our Constitution and have the moral courage to show respect, trust, honesty, and tolerance. When we behave as nationalists, we splinter apart, move away from freedom and equal opportunity, and can become disrespectful, dishonest, intolerant, and mistrustful of others who are not what the nation-state has defined to be an American. That divisiveness has made America a weaker country because it is an ideology that has not included everyone.
America has always been at its best when we behave as a winning team, and live up to the words written in our Pledge of Allegiance, “one nation, under God, with liberty and justice for all.” A true patriot from our past, Francis Bellamy wrote those words in 1872. We’d be wise to live up to that pledge and behave as true patriots living in a unified country rather than as nationalists living in a divided nation-state.