Patriotism with Reservations
I am unapologetically patriotic and deeply grateful to be an American. My father served in the United States Army for twenty years, and because of his service I had the opportunity to live abroad in places such as Germany and South Korea. Those experiences broadened my worldview and gave me a greater appreciation for other cultures and nations. Yet they also reinforced a conviction that has only grown stronger with time: there is no place quite like the United States of America. For all of our imperfections, America remains a remarkable experiment in liberty, opportunity, and self-government.
As a Black conservative American, I recognize that I did not personally endure slavery, segregation, or the Jim Crow era. Nevertheless, I cannot ignore the challenges confronting our nation today. I am troubled by the increasingly divisive rhetoric surrounding immigration, the toxic state of our political discourse, the growing extremism that has taken root on both the left and the right, and the willingness of some to flirt with authoritarian impulses when democracy becomes inconvenient. These developments give me pause. They do not diminish my love for America, but they do create reservations about the direction we are heading.
Still, I remain hopeful. The American spirit has proven resilient through war, economic hardship, social upheaval, and countless moments of national uncertainty. We can overcome our present divisions, but doing so will require more than slogans or partisan victories. Democracy is resilient, but it is also fragile. Its preservation depends upon citizens who are willing to practice accountability, extend grace to one another, love their neighbors as themselves, and become ambassadors for peace in their communities. The next 250 years could represent an unprecedented era of human flourishing, innovation, and freedom. But that future will require us to change our narratives, reject the temptation to demonize those with whom we disagree, and remember that our fellow Americans are not enemies.
As a conservative who works to reform the criminal justice sphere and elevate a civil debate as to what public safety should look like, I choose to believe that patriotism is interconnected with redemption, restoration and the belief that we should not be totally defined by our worst mistake.
So yes, my patriotism comes with reservations. Not because I have lost faith in America, but because I care deeply about its future. True patriotism is not blind loyalty; it is a commitment to both celebrating our strengths and confronting our shortcomings. To borrow a phrase often associated with Ronald Reagan: trust, but verify. I trust in the promise of America, but I also believe it is our responsibility to ensure that promise endures for generations to come.
A Call to Civility
I am a progressive Democrat and serve as a state representative in the Vermont General Assembly. These days, that statement alone might make some people put this piece down. But like most Americans, my story and identity are complex yet meaningfully part of the larger American story. I grew up in rural Alabama, the daughter of an Egyptian immigrant father and a mother who can trace her lineage back to the Mayflower. My grandparents both served in the United States Army, with my grandmother among the first to join the Women's Army Corps during WWII. Patriotism runs deep in my family, and both sides have paid a cost, in one form or another, to proudly call themselves American.
This patriotism, and my belief in the American Dream, is what led me to run for office. When I'm not wearing a suit and heels and walking the halls of the statehouse, I'm wearing scrubs and working as an occupational therapist. It was through that work that I realized Americans, regardless of party affiliation, or lack thereof, hold more in common than they do differences. The struggles of affording childcare, accessing healthcare, and securing housing plague so many of us. The stories we hold often share some of the same throughlines: we graduated during a recession, the factory in town closed up shop, and we're struggling to find time to care for aging parents while also raising our children. Yet the narratives we see on TV focus on dividing us rather than highlighting what we share.
That's what worries me and should worry you. The more divided we are, the less united we are in finding the root causes and common-sense solutions that could make this the America our parents and grandparents fought for. Is all hope lost? Of course not. But we have to push back against what's becoming the new "normal." Politics and relationships should be less sensational and more relational. Patriotism relies on relationships. That doesn't mean there won't be opposition or differences in ideas, but it does require seeing past that and focusing on what we have in common, in a civil manner.
The future is up to us, and how we shape it. So let's do so with courage and compassion, seeking unity over division.
Demetrius Minor is the Executive Director of Conservatives Concerned. He is a current fellow with the Center for Christianity and Public Life
Rep. Mary-Katherine Abdel-Ghany Stone currently serves as the Assistant Majority Leader for the Vermont House Democratic Caucus. She also co-chairs both the Vermont Future Caucus and the National Guard and Military Affairs Caucus. She is a current fellow with the Center for Christianity and Public Life.
