Being patriotic means loving, protecting and defending the country that you cherish. It means being loyal and having integrity.
While there is nothing wrong with supporting political figures, being patriotic does not mean always agreeing with them.
We should always hold our leaders accountable no matter whom we voted for.
When President Donald Trump pressured ABC to shut down the Jimmy Kimmel show, he did it because he didn’t like what Kimmel said about the way he was handling the loss of Charlie Kirk.
Kimmel pointed out that Trump was more focused on the White House getting a new ballroom than Kirk’s death.
“He is at the fourth stage of grief: construction,” Kimmel said in a joke.
Of course, many people thought the suspension of Kimmel’s show was unnecessary, but there were others who thought Trump was right for pressuring ABC. They praise him, look up to him and think he can do no wrong.
The First Amendment protects many rights like freedom of speech, religion, press, assembly and the right to petition the government.
Not only is Trump going after the freedom of speech for civilians, but now he is restricting the press from criticizing him. Journalists are being silenced by new policies and threats.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recently announced new rules for media access at the Pentagon requiring journalists to only report on information “approved for public release.”
This caused many media organizations to turn in their credentials. Even right-leaning Fox News and Newsmax wouldn’t sign the agreement.
Another example is how President Trump and former President Joe Biden have both been pro-Israel, and there hasn’t been a lot of push back from their supporters.
People have their right to believe in what they want without judgment, but is there a moral line when it comes to supporting a country that is killing innocent citizens?
As a Christian myself, I understand how some people may be pro-Israel because Israel is known as the holy land. I believe deeply in my faith and in my religion. I even want to visit Israel one day to see the land that Jesus himself stepped on. I understand wanting to protect that sacred ground. But I also believe Jesus wouldn’t support the killing of one another.
I believe that if someone truly had morals, they wouldn’t send billions of dollars to a country that is killing civilians. Unfortunately, America is funding this war.
I’m a proud American, and I’m very grateful I was born into a country where I can do things many others cannot. I’m proud of being a woman who is getting an education and can wear whatever she wants.
What I’m not proud of is what our country is becoming.
We’re not holding our leaders accountable because we’re scared. We praise them without thinking they can do wrong. We get too passionate about our beliefs and become closed-minded.
We’re not listening to each other or trying to understand other perspectives. We get so caught up in our own lives and think that our beliefs are the right way without critically evaluating the actions of our leaders.
Being a patriot in America means standing up for what is right and calling out what is wrong. It means wanting to make the country better. The only way this is possible is by speaking up while we still have that right.
