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Remember, I have moved my book reviews to their own blog. Tracy's Book Nook is now active.


Wednesday, April 15

The Patriot as a Citizen of the World ~ All About America

Anyone who really knows me, understands that I am a passionate patriot. I love America immensely. It offers freedom, hope and opportunity like no other country in the world. As such, I will be posting All About America every Wednesday, because I am proud to be an American! The content will vary and may include photos, facts, commentary, quotes, excerpts of speeches, etc. I will use different sources and make every attempt to site the source. Sometimes I may offer commentary, other times, if I think the content speaks for itself, I may not. I hope you enjoy All About America as much as I do, and that you’ll come back and visit often. And may God Bless America!


This has been taken from my second favorite book of all time, The American Patriot’s Almanac by William J. Bennett and John T.E. Cribb. It is filled with tons of amazing information and history, and anyone who loves history or consider themselves to be patriotic, will love this book. I did a full review of this book and if you would like to see it, simply click here.

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In April 1910, Theodore Roosevelt gave a speech in Paris in which he reflected on patriotism in a world that was just beginning to resemble what we today might call a “global village.” A century later, his words are worth pondering.

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I believe that a man must be a good patriot before he can be, and as the only possible way of being, a good citizen of the world. Experience teaches us that the average man who protests that his international feeling swamps his national feeling, in actual practice proves himself the foe of mankind; that the man who says that he does not care to be a citizen of any one country, because he is a citizen of the world, is in very fact usually an exceedingly undesirable citizen of whatever corner of the world he happens at the moment to be in. . . If a man can view his own country and all other countries from the same level with tepid indifference, it is wise to distrust him, just as it is wise to distrust the man who can take the same dispassionate view of his wife and his mother. However broad and deep a man’s sympathies, however intense his activities, he need have no fear that they will be cramped by love of his native land.


Now, this does not mean in the least that a man should not wish to do good outside of his native land. On the contrary, just as I think that the man who loves his family is more apt to be a good neighbor than the man who does not, so I think that the most useful member of the family of nations is normally a strongly patriotic nation.

3 comments:

Billy Coffey said...

I love that last sentence.

I'm so weary of hearing about how patriotism is an antiquated notion. Two big oceans and allied countries separate us from the rest of the world. And spoils us, too.

Whether we want to admit it or not, war will always be a part of the human experience. So will aggression. So will tyranny. I have no doubts that God sees the United States as that bright shining light to help keep the darkness at bay. And for that, I will always be proud to be an American.

nitewrit said...

Tracy,

I totally agree with you Billy Coffey and T.R.

No country, no government, because they are the instruments of humans, can be perfect, but despites what faults lie here, attempts have always been made to correct.

We have been blessed with freedom as citizens, but only through the Grace of Our Lord. I fear it may be slipping away.

Larry E.

KM Wilsher said...

I believe that a man must be a good patriot before he can be, and as the only possible way of being, a good citizen of the world.

Love this post, Tracy! :)