Dignity

Does patriotism matter? I remember in the early 1980's, when Lee Greenwood released the song God Bless The U.S.A., once voted the most recognizable patriotic song in America! That is because the song allows us to say what we truly feel...that we are PROUD to be an American! Patriotism did not just arise with 9/11 or with Desert Storm. Patriotism was just as popular in the year 1776 as it is in 2011. But why? Is it because we are a free nation? That's part of it.  We owe a tremendous amount of gratitude to the American Soldier and we should never fail to remember those who have fought and/or died for the freedoms we enjoy. Yes, showing patriotism means remembering our troops and it means remembering our freedoms, but the biggest thing about patriotism is that it gives you....DIGNITY! Having dignity means having a sense of self-importance. One thing in life is certain, people let people down. Your job will let you down. Your government will let you down. You may lose a lot of things during your lifetime, like faith or hope in some ONE or some THING, but the one thing you should always try to keep ahold of is your dignity. The soldier that died on the battlefield while fighting for your freedom died with dignity. For that we should be grateful.  Always. Does patriotism matter? The answer is - it mattered yesterday, it matters today and it will matter tomorrow. When all else fails in America, there will be someone who will still be patriotic. That's America. To borrow the line from Lee Greenwood's song....I proudly say, with dignity, I am proud to be an American! God bless the USA!