I grew up in the 1980s, a time when you didn’t have to look far to find pride in being an American. My dad was a huge Ronald Reagan fan—like many of that era, he believed deeply in the promise of America. I grew up under the shadow of the Stars and Stripes, believing with all my heart that the United States of America was the greatest idea ever put into action. And honestly, I still believe that.
Now, I’m not blind. The modern political world is full of corruption, lies, and power games that would make our Founders turn in their graves. The America we see today doesn’t always reflect the vision of 1776. But that doesn’t change the truth: what they built was right. What they sacrificed for in the Revolutionary War, and what they wrote into the Constitution, still matters.
Patriotism isn’t about blindly supporting everything the government does—it’s about honoring the idea of America. It’s about believing in freedom, individual rights, responsibility, and self-governance. It’s about standing up for what’s right even when the people in charge don’t.
To me, real patriotism is loving this country enough to want it to live up to its founding ideals. It’s remembering that liberty isn’t passed down in the bloodline—it has to be defended, revived, and lived out in every generation. Corruption may grow, but so can courage. And so long as there are still people who believe in the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the dream of a free people, there’s still something worth fighting for.
America, as intended, is still something to be proud of.
Take care all –
Rourke
