Photo by David Leong
With Veterans Day celebrated this month, patriotic symbols will be evident in the city. But how do we live patriotically in daily life here at home? Local residents say true patriotism is about actions and in how we treat our neighbors.
In Vestavia Hills, November means flags lining U.S. 31, students preparing for assemblies and neighbors lining the streets for Birmingham’s Veterans Day parade — the oldest in the country.
But this year, as the United States approaches its 250th anniversary in 2026, we wanted to ask a personal question:
What does patriotism mean to you — and how do you live it, here in Vestavia Hills?
We invited veterans, first responders, civic leaders and neighbors from across Vestavia Hills to share their reflections. Not about politics. Not about headlines. But about daily life — what they believe, how they act and how we might all find common ground through love of country, even when we disagree.
Their answers weren’t political. They weren’t rehearsed. They came from daily life — they just asked us to listen.
Staff photo
Members of the Vestavia Hills, Mountain Brook and Homewood police and fire departments stand at attention during the Pledge of Allegiance at the Patriot Day Remembrance Ceremony with the cities of Mountain Brook, Vestavia Hills and Homewood at Vestavia Hills City Hall in September 2022.
Signs of patriotism are easy to spot in Vestavia — American flags lined up down U.S. 31, neighbors turning out for the Salute to Veterans Celebration at the Vestavia Civic Center or placing wreaths at the Alabama Veterans Memorial Park. Some say patriotism is about tradition: wearing red, white and blue, standing for the national anthem or pausing on Memorial Day to reflect. Others point to action — voting, volunteering, mentoring a student or checking in on a neighbor.
"I think patriotism can mean a lot of different things for different people," said Vestavia Hills resident Darius Seals, a husband, father of two young girls and outreach ministry director for Church of the Highlands’ Birmingham Dream Center. "It symbolizes your love for your country, your devotion to your country, your loyalty to your country and to your fellow citizens. It can show up in different ways of showing your patriotism, like serving your community, which is what I love most about my job. I feel like I can operate in the space where I can show my civic duty by helping fellow brothers and sisters get the basic necessities and needs they have."
The people we spoke to didn’t all define it the same way. They had different views and opposing ideologies. But they all talked about how they try to live it.
Power
“I think the only way to define patriotism in modern terms is by staying true to what the definition has meant in the past as well,” said Gracie Power, a Vestavia Hills resident and stay-at-home mom. “It is a respect for the country we are privileged to live in and commitment to making decisions each day that pushes our nation to be better for future generations.”
Power, who comes from a family with three generations of veterans, said she thanks those who serve — and their spouses — every chance she gets. “In small ways, I keep a flag flying on my doorstep and take time to reflect on certain holidays like Memorial Day and Sept. 11 so I don't forget the steps we took to make it to today,” she said. “I also love to bake, so dropping off some cookies or sweets by UAB or the fire department is always an easy thing to do to show appreciation.”
Burford
For retired Maj. Gen. David Burford of Greystone, patriotism is lived in the things he does daily to support the love of country reflected in his military service.
“Patriotism is the faith of self-sacrifice — that you’ll join something bigger than yourself. It’s a love of country,” Burford said. “I’m very frustrated with the condition of the country. But everybody has to be able to speak up. That’s what this freedom is all about — the freedom to disagree.”
Burford served a combined 38 years in the active Army, the Army Reserve and the Alabama Army National Guard. He became an Army Ranger and a Green Beret and was deployed as a special forces operative just after 9/11. Today, he helps organize Birmingham’s Veterans Day parade — the oldest in the nation — through his work with the National Veterans Day Foundation. He’s also known for correcting businesses across the area that improperly display the flag, according to the U.S. Flag Code.
“There’s always room for differences,” Burford added. “But there’s no room for violence — not to push your position or resist someone else’s.”
Jones
Doug Jones served his country as a U.S. Senator from 2018-21. He said patriotism should be non-partisan.
“I truly believe there are Republicans, Democrats, independents — people of all races and religions — who love this country,” said Jones, who lives in Mountain Brook, and is also a longtime civil rights attorney. “They are patriotic. They are devoted to this country. They just have different philosophies about how things should be run.”
He said the military remains one of the clearest examples of unity in service.
Melick
“Patriotism is defined as a ‘feeling of attachment and commitment to a country, nation or political community,’” said Ray Melick, a longtime Vestavia Hills resident and retired journalist. “The United States is a country founded not on ethnicity, language or physical borders, but on an idea.”
Melick, who has three generations of military service in his family and one son currently serving as a Marine Corps captain, said his parents instilled in him a deep sense of civic duty.
“One of the most patriotic things we can do is vote,” he said. “But it’s also about volunteering, through schools, churches, civic organizations — however you can make your community a better place. That to me is being patriotic: actively involved making this country a better place to live, in my community, by means outside the political process.”
Fred Shepherd, a political science professor at Samford University in Homewood, said division isn’t new — but the desire for common ground often catches up.
“If you look back at history, you see a strong tradition of demonizing the opposition — sometimes without much nuance,” he said. “But there’s usually a corrective moment when people realize things have gone too far.”
While headlines and social media often amplify the loudest and most extreme voices, several people we spoke with said they don’t see that kind of division in their day-to-day lives.
Jones said those loudest voices often drive the conversation — but “that’s not mainstream.”
He said the real work of patriotism often happens through quiet efforts to listen, collaborate and give ground when needed.
“We’ve really got to focus a little bit more on how we can work together to achieve goals, knowing that we can’t always get what we want,” he said. “But as Mick Jagger says, ‘If you try sometime, you just might get what you need.’”
Throughout these conversations, one theme rose above the rest: Patriotism isn’t a bumper sticker or a soundbite. It’s a choice — to care, to serve and to listen.
Power said she sees patriotism as both a personal commitment and a responsibility to future generations.
“Patriotism means respecting the country we are privileged to live in — and making decisions each day that push our nation to be better,” Power said.
“If we lose the meaning of patriotism, what are we even fighting for?” she said. “We have to remember that our neighbors’ opinions matter too. It starts with respect. You don’t have to agree — but you can always learn something if you’re willing to listen.”
