Patriotism

Oftentimes I reflect upon the current state of this country and our leadership and grow very discouraged. How can I be a true and zealous American patriot when so many of our leaders have abased the very meanings of our greatest virtues?

How else: searching the mind of Theodore Roosevelt for inspiration! Today I offer you snippets from a speech on 'Americanism' and the duty of the true patriot:

"Outrageous though it is to use a noble idea as the cloak for evil, it is still worse to assail the noble idea itself because it can thus be used. The men who do iniquity in the name of patriotism, of reform, of Americanism, are merely one small division of the class that has always existed and will always exist: the class of hypocrites and demagogues, the class that is always prompt to steal the watchwords of righteousness and use them in the interests of evil-doing. The stoutest and truest Americans are the very men who have the least sympathy with the people who invoke the spirit of Americanism to aid what is vicious in our government or to throw obstacles in the way of those who strive to reform it."

Keep the faith! The full speech can be read here.