"Every child in America should be acquainted with his own country. He should read books that furnish him with ideas that will be useful to him in life and practice. As soon as he opens his lips, he should rehearse the history of his own country." ~Noah Webster, On the Education of Youth in America
Patriotism means more than simply waving the American flag, reciting "The Pledge of Allegiance," or singing "The Star Spangled Banner." A true patriot's dedication to the principles and values that make the United States of America so great goes far deeper than that. On the surface, patriots may appear to be more involved in their communities than the average citizen. Patriots and their families tend to be active in civic organizations, church groups, youth programs, etc. - but that's not all. While most are honest Americans who believe in traditional cultural and moral values, a patriot in particular loves his country so much that he or she actively promotes and defends its interests.
A true patriot remains loyal to his country at all costs. If it is occupied by an enemy, he is a member of a resistance group. Some might associate this type of patriotism only with armed militias. However, anyone who fights to preserve the heritage of our Founding Fathers is a patriot, even when it is done through public speeches, letters to the editor, petitions, or other peaceful means. And by the way, if we didn't have patriots defending our second amendment, the rest of them would be taken away. Remember, the price of freedom is eternal vigilance and the willingness to protect it against all enemies, both foreign and domestic.
Like all large-scale movements, the modern patriot movement is a compilation of various groups who see different issues as their primary concern. These include: right-to-keep-and-bear-arms advocates, tax reformers, United Nations opponents, judicial reformers, social security opponents, educational freedom advocates, etc. Conservative Christian patriots are God-fearing folks who are pro-Constitution, pro-Life, and pro-Christ. Homeschool patriots specifically promote and defend the concept of educational liberty – that is, the constitutional right and freedom of teaching their own children at home. In addition, homeschoolers tend to be considerably more involved in general civic affairs than their public school counterparts.
Many patriots fall into more than one category, of course. And while their primary focus may differ, virtually every patriot group supports the fundamental goal of revitalizing American liberty through Constitutional and law-abiding government. As with all movements, individual patriots and their views range from the mainstream to the radical. But no matter where our main interests lie, we must always remember our collective obligation to ensure that justice is done, freedom prevails, and the principles upon which our nation was founded endure. Let's revitalize citizen participation in our government, teach our children the principles of freedom, and restore the spirit of America's founders. For hundreds of links to patriotic resources, educational materials, historical documents, and information on how you can help preserve the heritage of our Founding Fathers, click here.
"The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing."
~Edmund Burke
"Those who cannot remember the past are condemed to repeat it." ~George Santayana
"No free government, or the blessings of liberty can be preserved to any people, but by frequent recurrence to fundamental principles." ~George Mason
As Patriots, we support the original intent of our Founding Fathers, Free Speech With Responsibility. For free speech links, quotes to consider, and more information about the Green Ribbon "Responsibility in Free Speech" campaign, click here.
"I am willing that every man shall believe what he
wishes, print what he wishes, and say what he wishes within his Constitutional rights, but I am not willing...to extend that full and complete freedom into a gross license...
to distort and debase the minds and hearts and bodies of those who belong to me and are dearer to me than life
itself." ~J. Reuben Clark