“My Patriotism”

Guest Commentary
Zeke Green
Class of 2018

Patriotism has been a staple of Americanism since European colonists dubbed themselves American as opposed to pledging allegiance to their home lands. The Revolutionary War and subsequent Declaration of Independence and Constitution laid out what it meant and means to be an American. Traditionally, being an American comes with not only spectacular rights and responsibilities, but the notion that we must be willing to fight for those liberties we are born with as citizens of the U.S.A.

In today’s America, issues such as immigration, illegal immigration, and acceptance of refugees split American citizens. Some feel that it is our duty to help others whose lives represent polar opposites of the extraordinary lives we live as Americans. In daily life, Catholic University students rarely deal with violence, threats to our wellbeing, or our health in any way. We never go hungry, unless we refuse to eat at the Pryz and run out of dining dollars. We live some of the most fortunate lives anyone in the world lives. It becomes very easy when going through a life of good fortune to forget that much of the world does not live at our quality of life. If I was not born in the United States, I would dream of coming to the U.S. as I am sure billions of people would if given the opportunity. Some patriots see our luck as something we have earned through defending our nation for hundreds of years and that is true, but I personally have done nothing to deserve the blessings I was born into. I believe that the willingness to fight for the nation is what makes one a patriot, as our ancestors did. Many Americans see immigrants as receiving a hand out by being accepted into the U.S. Their ancestors did not fight the Nazis, the Confederates, the Japanese, or the countless other nations we have engaged in war with. My grandfather fought in World War II, Korea, and Spain and ended up dying from his injuries in those wars. I am immeasurably grateful for his sacrifice, but as I said, I have sacrificed nothing for our great nation. I take for granted every day what I have. I know without a doubt that an immigrant from a civil war torn country would work harder given the opportunities I have than I currently do. These people may be outsiders, but a human is a human. The world is not fair – that is without a doubt – but we have done nothing to deserve the incredible lives we live and can not look at people who were born without these comforts as less than us.

I love the United States of America because it is one of the greatest countries on earth and because my ancestors fought to maintain that. I would fight for this country to guarantee future generations get the same fortunes I did. I am a patriot. But, I think by looking at history, putting nation before human life ends only in pain and suffering. Americans wiped out an entire culture of Native Americans because it was in the U.S.’s best interests to expand. I care about the lives of other humans as much as I care about the lives of Americans. I think that is the only way to live life, but I still love my country. That is my Patriotism.