I happened to come across some comments from politicians and political pundits claiming that the “No Kings” and anti-ICE supporters are Patriots. One of the primary signs of the progressive movement is defiance toward the correct definition of words. The movement has led to a reassignment of definitions, like Patriot. Even a suspect left-leaning AI overview will give you a correct answer about the etymology of the word Patriot. Patriotes (Gr.) or patris and pater (L.) refer to father or fatherland (if you’re a Christian you are likely familiar with the Gloria Patri). To be a Patriot within the context of the original language is to defend or be subject to the fatherland. Being a Patriot is a unifying action according to creed or country.
What a Patriot is not is a Cosmopolitan. Sorry, not enough space is available in this composition for a deep dive into the meaning. Cosmopolitanism does not embrace the principles that this nation’s “Founding Fathers” ascribed to. Thus, an American Patriot is different from a Somalian Patriot or Chinese Patriot, etc. because they do not share the American fatherland’s entreaty. We have the US Constitution as our guiding principle, not Sharia Law or the Communist Manifesto. This being said, is it possible to determine which is closer to being an American Patriot than the other: 1) a supporter of Make America Great Again (like the Constitution as written) or 2) a supporter of Democratic Socialists of America (want a new constitution)?
We might wonder what our “Founding Fathers” had in mind when they penned the documents which still guide our nation today. Yes, they were products of immigration, but only a handful of the Declaration of Independence signers were first-generation immigrants (but they were landowners or owned businesses, not “wards of the State”). They were statesmen- creators of a new fatherland. They used political examples from Locke, Russeau, and Hobbes. They were opposing the rule of a constitutional monarchy. They realized fascism has its roots in progressivism thus structured their new “Republic” form of government to avoid such a pitfall.
Nearly 250 years have passed since great thinkers like Jefferson, Madison, Adams, and Hamilton were arguing over what this new fatherland should uphold as inalienable rights for its citizens. They knew what an American Patriot should believe. Unfortunately, some today create Patriots in their own image.
Happy 250th everyone!
Daniel Cunningham, Jefferson
