You Are NOT A "Patriot" If...

As I did my annual "walking tour" of Philadelphia this past Memorial Day, observing all of the ceremonies acknowledging the sacrifices of the men and women who have actually fought and died for our freedom, it occurs to me that there is a stark difference between REAL patriots, and those who just use the title to justify their Obama Derangement Syndrome. (Yes. I'm talking to you, Operation American Spring.) With that in mind, I figure I might provide the following as a kind of primer. Think of this as "Patriotism for Dummies".

You are NOT a "Patriot" if...

• You believe the only REAL patriots are people who agree with you and/or belong to your political party.
• Your ideology divides this country into "those little pockets of Real America", and everywhere else.
• You believe "defending America's freedom" simply means sitting in lawn chairs waving a Gadsden (and/or Confederate) flag and screaming racist epithets at passers-by.
• You constantly shout "I want my country back," yet cannot explain how it's been taken away from you (especially since you are NOT a Native American).
• You immediately scream "freedom of speech" the minute someone calls you out on something stupid you said in public.
• The mere suggestion that your kids eat healthier is an infringement on your right to keep them morbidly obese type 2 diabetics.
• You claim you are loosing your rights and freedoms, but can't name one "right" or "freedom" you've actually lost.
• You claim your religious freedom is being oppressed, but seem to have no problem oppressing religions other than your own.
• Your biggest complaint about "political correctness" is that you can no longer be a racist, sexist, homophobic bigot.
• Your main justification for your racism, sexism, homophobia, etc. is "my bible says so".
• You believe that every mass shooting since Obama's been in office has been a "false flag" planted to take away your guns and your bibles. (In fact, what that DOES make you is a raging asshole.)
• You openly carry your gun as an expression of your "Second Amendment rights", but the thought of going near a Black neighborhood terrifies you because of "all those Black people with guns."
• The only time you speak out about what's wrong with this country is when it's being run by a president you don't like (and then only when you think it's his fault).
• You want to impeach the president, but...
• can't name one thing he's done for which he could actually be impeached.
• have no concept of what qualifies as an "impeachable offense".
• have no clue of how the impeachment process works.
• You truly could not have given less of a damn about any of the following prior to January 20, 2009, but now use them as justification for your contempt for this president.
• The deficit
• TARP
• NSA spying
• Treatment of Veterans
• Drone strikes
• The debt ceiling
• "Fast and Furious"
• IRS Scrutiny (at least when you though it was only being done to Liberals)
• Voter fraud
• Government overspending
• Attacks on our embassies
• Any policy you hate that's been in place since the BUSH administration (or prior)

I could list lots more (and please feel free to do so in the comments), but my point is this. Real patriotism isn't merely about bitching and whining about all the things and people that piss you off. It isn't about advancing your paranoia over the latest conspiracy theory you read on World Net Daily. It isn't about marching and holding up misspelled signs calling the president a communist, socialist, fascist (especially when you don't know what those terms actually mean). Real patriotism is about loving your country unconditionally, yet being able to acknowledge that it isn't perfect. Real patriots are those men and women throughout history who've fought and died for the freedom we all enjoy today, and weren't put off by little annoyances like RAIN. This summer we should remember those patriots, as well as those who continue to fight for this country and defend our freedom...without the need for lawn chairs.