Am I patriotic? That depends on what you mean by patriotism. If patriotism is blind allegiance to a government or unquestioning loyalty to national symbols, then no—I wouldn’t call myself patriotic. But if patriotism means holding one’s country to its highest ideals, then absolutely. It is also about striving to make it better for everyone.

For me, patriotism isn’t about singing the national anthem louder than anyone else or draping myself in a flag. It’s about engaging with my community. It means standing up for what’s right. It involves ensuring that the promises of freedom, equality, and justice apply to all. It’s about questioning policies that harm people. It’s about advocating for those who have been silenced. Recognizing that dissent is not disloyalty—it’s a duty.

History is full of people who were once considered “unpatriotic.” Later, they were recognized as the ones who pushed their nations toward justice. The civil rights movement faced criticism for challenging the status quo. Suffragists and labor activists also experienced the same. Yet their work made the country stronger, more just, and more in line with its founding principles.

Patriotism, to me, is not about worshiping a nation as it is but about believing in what it can become. It’s about acknowledging the flaws. It’s about learning from the past. It’s about refusing to settle for anything less than a country that values and protects all its people. Loving your country shouldn’t mean ignoring its problems—it should mean caring enough to want to fix them.

So yes, I am patriotic. But my patriotism isn’t about waving a flag; it’s about lifting people up. It’s about ensuring that the ideals this country was founded on aren’t just words in a history book. They should be a reality for everyone who calls this place home.