Real Patriotism

The amazing Ginmar, just back from a year or more with the National Guard in Iraq, has this to say about love of country...
ginmar: Intersections "I've never loved my country because she was strong and powerful and... all that. I loved her because she was like my parents, flawed and unique, and occasionally in trouble because she tried to do the right thing, no matter what the cost. 'The Star-Spangled Banner' isn't about an overwhelming victory. It's about a bunch of guys who don't know, lying in their foxholes, if their brand-new nation has survived the night. The only way they can tell is to check and see if their flag is still flying over the fort at 'dawn's early light.' "

Damn, that woman can write! I can think of nothing more to say, but that she said it more eloquently than I ever could.