Photo by Erin Nelson
Jon Anderson
Patriotism.
According to Webster’s dictionary, it means “love of one's country; the passion which aims to serve one's country, either in defending it from invasion, or protecting its rights and maintaining its laws and institutions in vigor and purity.”
But when you ask different people what patriotism means to them, you sometimes get different answers. That’s understandable because people have different beliefs about what rights people ought to have and what rights they don’t have. Those different beliefs often are the subject of controversial cases that go before the U.S. Supreme Court.
We rely on our Constitution to be the guiding document for the principles by which we live together as a people. The goals outlined in the preamble talk about establishing justice, ensuring domestic tranquility, providing for our defense, promoting the general welfare and securing the blessings of liberty.
In honor of Veterans Day, we took some time to ask people around the city what patriotism means to them. I hope you enjoy reading Kelli Hewett’s cover story and will take some time to reflect on what it means to you.
