What is Patriotism?

Richard A. Kaye writes in the Los Angeles Times " But something vital has been lost in this debate — namely, the disturbingly limited way in which many public officials define patriotism. Exactly when and how did patriotic feeling get defined in such reactive, negative terms? Since when does being patriotic require not so much a commitment to positive ideals and actions but, rather, to gestures that encourage an atmosphere of fearful watchfulness, xenophobia and the surrender of our freedoms?

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http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/sunday/commentary/la-op-patriotism3jul03,0,4351175.story?track=hppromobox