Why I Am a #ProudPatriot

Resisting isn’t enough. Progressives must keep the spirit of patriotism alive for the 21st century.

I’ve always been proud to be an American. I am a patriot.

My patriotism isn’t blind, or forgiving. I know my country has committed, and continues to commit, harmful actions. I’ve protested unjust wars and raged against flagrant violations of the Constitution and witnessed the destruction caused by institutional bias.

But I also see people every day working to fix our flawed system, and I truly believe that we are a more just nation now than we were fifty years ago, and that fifty years ago we were more just than fifty years before that, and so on. I believe that the idea of America is a great one. It’s the first government with the idea of failure baked into it: the concept that a nation can make mistakes and improve over time simply didn’t exist before the Constitution.

It is our duty as Americans to make America better than it was yesterday. This can seem like an impossible task in a time when immigrants and trans Americans face life-threatening consequences from discriminatory, shoddily written executive orders. But I also see people every day who are working to improve the nation, from government employees doing their jobs in uncertain circumstances to protesters fighting for LGBTQ rights to politicians who are trying to do the best they can by their constituents.

It’s important to acknowledge that patriotism has traditionally been the rallying-cry for conservatives. In the aftermath of 9/11, Republicans were quick to question the patriotism of any liberal who stood in their way. Iraq War protesters were labeled un-American. Any attempt to preserve or strengthen programs that help Americans find their footing in an uncertain economy was branded as socialism.

Now, President Trump and his Republican Congress have ceded their moral high ground on patriotism. The Republican Party’s relationship with Russia has descended over the past sixty years from antagonistic to sympathetic to cozy, and the president of the United States decries “American carnage” and questions the fitness of our troops. It’s up to us to keep the value of patriotism alive for the next generation, to remind people what it means to truly love and fight for your country.

The thing is, we progressives have always been the true patriots. When you look at progressive causes in our nation’s history, we’re the ones who believe in community and freedom and liberty. We fought the Nazis despite the many protests of a virulent conservative strain of isolationists. We invested in science and progress so that we could send an American to the moon. We founded the system of laws which promised that all our citizens — young and old, rich and poor, regardless of race or creed — would have a shot at success, and that they wouldn’t be on their own if some unforeseeable accident befell them.

We built that America.

And now it’s our job as patriots, as citizens who love the idea of America, to push the country forward into the 21st century. Not by looking back, but by looking ahead.

On Tuesday, President Donald Trump will address the joint chambers of Congress for the first time. What better way for progressives to mark the occasion than by reclaiming our patriotic tradition and declaring the patriotic values that will embolden us through the next four years and chart the course for the next century?

The #ProudPatriot movement is a social media campaign to remind us why we resist. On Facebook and Twitter and Medium, progressives are explaining why they love America and how they are going to help us live up to our American values of democracy, inclusion, and shared prosperity.

Nobody owns the #ProudPatriot movement. You should use it to promote the issues that matter most to you. Feminism, immigration rights, gun responsibility, income equality, trans awareness — these are patriotic causes, promoted by people who love their country.

On this day, just over a month into Donald Trump’s presidency, let’s take a moment to remember why we love America and what we want to build for the America of our children and grandchildren. Feel free to use the art at this link to illustrate your posts, or—even better—create your own. Make videos, make art, write essays, send tweets, encourage your friends to explain why they’re #ProudPatriots.

I’ve been heartened to see and take part in some of the many spontaneous instances of resistance that have spontaneously erupted around the country in the month since Donald Trump’s inauguration. I intend to resist this administration for the next four years. But saying “no” isn’t enough. You have to have a vision. You have to remember what you’re fighting for, and you have to have big, bold plans to achieve your goals once you win.

I’m a #ProudPatriot because I know that diversity is the key to America’s success.

I’m a #ProudPatriot because one century ago, women didn’t have the right to vote nationally and today a bold new wave of women leads the way for us in Congress.

I’m a #ProudPatriot because I believe America should lead the way on renewable energy and climate science.

I’m a #ProudPatriot because we are closer than ever to insuring all Americans, and I believe that we will win health care for every American in my lifetime.

My name is Paul Constant, and I’m a #ProudPatriot because I believe that no person can truly succeed on their own, and I believe that this country is better with you in it. So let’s fight to make it the country we want.