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“Patriotism is a thing difficult to put into words. It is neither precisely an emotion nor an opinion, nor a mandate, but a state of mind -- a reflection of our own personal sense of worth, and respect for our roots. Love of country plays a part, but it's not merely love. Neither is it pride, although pride too is one of the ingredients.

Patriotism is a commitment to what is best inside us all. And it's a recognition of that wondrous common essence in our greater surroundings -- our school, team, city, state, our immediate society -- often ultimately delineated by our ethnic roots and borders... but not always.

Indeed, these border lines are so fluid... And we do not pay allegiance as much as we resonate with a shared spirit.

We all feel an undeniable bond with the land where we were born. And yet, if we leave it for another, we grow to feel a similar bond, often of a more complex nature. Both are forms of patriotism -- the first, involuntary, by birth, the second by choice.

Neither is less worthy than the other.

But one is earned.”
― Vera Nazarian, The Perpetual Calendar of Inspiration

“It was once necessary to go from somebody to nothing to become everything.”
― Darnell Lamont Walker

“Many would call pledging allegiance to a corrupt government to be a form of insanity.”
― Steven Magee

“To identify as American is akin to pledging allegiance to a corrupt government.”
― Steven Magee

“Are you comfortable with pledging allegiance to a government that failed to prepare for a pandemic?”
― Steven Magee

“The next time you are pledging allegiance, I want you to remember that your government really messed up on COVID-19.”
― Steven Magee