I consider myself a Patriot.  I love my country and am devoted to it, without question. When I hear the national anthem, no matter where I may be, I get choked up.  I feel a great sense of pride knowing I live in the greatest country on the face of the Earth.  I am a Democrat, blue to the core.  I believe in a woman’s right to choose, marriage equality, freedom of speech, the freedom for citizens to unionize to fight for their rights, the right to vote, and the list goes on and on.

But as of late, I am wondering who gets to decide who is or is not a Patriot in this country.  All over the news, again, the Conservative side of our political system has decided to go after the President of the United States claiming that he is not a Patriot. When President Obama ran, and then first took office, the GOP tried to use the ‘Not a Citizen’ card.  Then after a while it turned into the ‘Socialist’, followed by the ‘Muslim’ card. Now out of nowhere we have the ‘Communist’ card.  What’s next?

https://twitter.com/dlIndonesianews/status/569252868202450944

or this…

https://twitter.com/liberalnyer1/status/568452918434762754

Not once have I ever accused a member of the Republican unpatriotic.  They love this country as much as I do.  Their ideas of what this nation should be and how we should live is when I questions their sanity.  But I don’t consider them unpatriotic.  Nuts, insane, bigoted, greedy, hypocritical, tyrannical and other colorful derogatory adjectives, but never once have I said unpatriotic.

Now I know that not all Republicans go to the extremes.  But I am not hearing anything from them.  Just the extremists. Even my party has its fair share of nuts.  But they don’t go even this far. Is Conservative’s hate that strong?  Is their animosity that large? Nastiness seems to be the only way our great society is able to work anymore.

Part of being a Patriot is upholding the Constitution.  Freedom of speech is at the top.  I know that means that no matter how much crap gets spewed, that I disagree with, a person has the right to say whatever they choose.  A true Patriot understands this fact.