Patriotism in the past

In the news, there has been a lot about patriots and patriotism. A true patriot is dedicated to his/her country and will defend it against all enemies, foreign and domestic. Many people today don't seem to understand and love patriotism as our forefathers did. I wonder about those who twist, distort and misinterpret the U.S. Constitution, who speak out against and ignore its guarantees.

When I was in school during the 1930s, we were given huge doses of the Constitution and patriotism both at school and at home. History told of our Founding Fathers who fought the Revolutionary War facing great odds.

We were steeped in the history of those American colonists of the eighteenth century who created our Constitution and Bill of Rights.

We learned about history, our Forefathers, civics, government, and of the courage, dedication, and sacrifices of those colonists when they went against the tyranny of King George III.

The colonists revolted against injustices of the King and fought the Revolutionary War against Great Britain at great odds in their fight.

They founded a new Nation dedicated to freedom and justice. Those men were true patriots, sacrificing their "lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor" to get away from the tyranny in order to form a government dedicated to freedom and justice. If they had been caught they would have been killed for "treason."

After Britain surrendered, the Colonist leaders met and worked for months and years "hammering out" the United States Constitution and perfecting it to secure liberty and justice for the people of the United States.

The Constitution worked well for two centuries. It became a model for nations around the world whose people yearned for freedom and justice.

Children today are not learning the lessons we did. Jay Leno demonstrated this when he asked questions of young people on the streets. Many couldn't quote the Pledge of Allegiance or sing the words of the first stanza of The Star Spangled Banner. Others aren't able to tell the name of the President or Vice President of the United States, much less the name of their own Senator or Congressman.

We weren't really surprised. Those young people can rattle off the names of rock stars, actors, actresses and sports figures, but don't know basic facts about their own homeland.

To me this indicates that many are largely uneducated and don't understand real patriotism.