What Is Patriotism?

By Dan Rather, Dan Rather's Facebook Page

10 June 17

t is question that occupies my mind today as the nation I love dearly is beset by crises that threaten to overwhelm the basic tenets of our cherished democracy.

How do you measure patriotism in the wake of the unprecedented developments we saw yesterday on Capitol Hill? Is it about falling in line behind your preferred political leader? Or does it mean confronting what is wrong with our country as well as what is right? These questions are not only of our time. They are timeless, and form key tensions at the heart of our system of government. I believe we should reconnect to some of the core values that have united us as a people in the past, and can unite us once more.

This is the theme of a book I am writing with my longtime collaborator Elliot Kirschner (to be released this fall). The cover was officially unveiled today. It is going to be a collection of essays on an expansive view of patriotism that encompasses such themes as service, empathy, science, and the arts.

My hope is that if you read it you will not expect any monopoly on wisdom. I have none, but I do hope we can start recognizing that patriotism must be as expansive and inclusive as our democracy should be. We hope to start a conversation about love of country to which you would like to lend your voice and thoughts. We need to hear from our wonderful, diverse, citizenry now more than ever.