Does Patriotism Still Matter?

Author's note: This is the essay that I wrote for the 2010 Patriot's Pen veterans essay contest.The theme of this year's contest is "Does Patriotism Still Matter?".

Patriotism means the love or dedication to one’s country. Showing one’s dedication to their country can be demonstrated in many different ways. Patriotism is important because it gives us the freedom to do whatever we want in a responsible matter. This doesn’t mean we can go around doing whatever we want. Citizens of this country still have to follow laws, but have the freedom to make our own choices and live to our full potential. Patriotism does in fact still matter in America.

When someone says patriotism, of course red, white, and blue come to mind. Every day we show patriotism by hanging an American flag in classrooms and saying the Pledge of Allegiance in school. Honoring holidays such as Memorial Day and Veteran’s Day also shows our patriotism to this country. Singing the National Anthem at sporting events is a clear way we show patriotism, but there are more ways that we demonstrate patriotism in our everyday lives.

Anyone can show patriotism. Firemen and police officers show their dedication keeping the community safe and in order. Displaying the American flag, voting in election, and visiting national landmarks are all ways to show pride in our country. Everyone can show patriotism, whether big or small, every act of patriotism is important.

Patriotism can also be shown by helping out the less fortunate. For example, when disaster strikes here in the United States, or even in other countries, the citizens of the US are quick to help out. The United States of America helps by sending supplies and helping to comfort and rebuild communities. This shows that we, as citizens of the United States, want to look out for people and help out whenever help is needed.

Patriotism isn’t reserved just for holidays such as the Fourth of July or Memorial Day. It matters every day of the year. Without patriotism, our country would not have the freedoms we have today. Many men and women show great amounts of patriotism every day. Patriotism does still matter and is a large part of lives in America. The biggest part of patriotism is that we don’t take for granted the freedoms we enjoy in our everyday lives.