Photo by Filip Bunkens on Unsplash

I’ve been thinking about patriotism a lot lately. It’s an idea many people struggle with, especially nowadays, and rightly so. But here’s my take: We need much more patriotism among us today to help right our politics and the country and believe in ourselves.

Patriotism, no doubt, can be fleeting—like after a terrorist attack when we put flag decals on our cars, sing patriotic hymns at ballgames and donate to our favorite causes. Patriotism also is cynically manipulated to demonize opponents. It becomes a weapon.

But the actual definition of patriotism is something quite profound and beautiful: “love of country.” Within this definition resides the notion of “devotion”—that our abiding love for our communities and country make us willing to stick with them even, or especially, when we no longer like what they have become, or the direction in which they seem to be going.

Patriotism—this kind of devotion—is not something you do alone. For the word patriot has a derivative: compatriot, which means “fellow country people.” We are destined to be in relationship with one another. For we live together in communities, not alone.

Patriotism—this kind of devotion—is not something you do alone. For the word patriot has a derivative: compatriot, which means “fellow country people.” We are destined to be in relationship with one another. For we live together in communities, not alone.

As I travel the U.S., I keep hearing people talk about challenges that only seem to be getting worse, often further dividing us, and to which I believe we are called to take action. We are summoned to exercise our sense of patriotism.

• We face the original sin of slavery in our country. The need to address our past and decide how we will move into the future is urgent. This and other stains on our civic fabric require our undivided attention. We must act.
• Political leaders are intentionally—and dangerously—using hot rhetoric to question one another’s allegiance to the nation, rather than to openly and forthrightly debate the issues. This erodes basic norms and trust.
• People wonder if systemic problems like poor public schools will ever get addressed, or if the kids who attend these schools are doomed for life.
• So many groups within society have grievances about their economic plight; whether they can afford to send their kids to a community college; and how closing industrial plants will undermine the future of their communities, among other issues. These and other concerns directly hit home for people.

There’s anger and hurt and sorrow and despair among many Americans. We must recognize this reality. And we must ask ourselves this question: Amid these growing challenges and heightened emotions, will we choose to turn away from others, or turn toward them? Will we see and hear each other—and truly understand one another—or will we simply raise our voices to drown out those who are different from us and who hold opposing views?

Turning toward one another today takes courage—to stand and sit with others to hear and understand their lived experiences, to feel their pain, to know their dashed hopes, to create something better. It takes humility to listen with an open heart, compassion and empathy—with the self-awareness that someone else’s experiences may be very different from our own, and that we need each other to find shared solutions.

You can be angry, filled with sorrow, even bereft and still hold love for our people, our communities and our country—and due to your love, press ahead to fight to right wrongs, improve people’s lives and create genuine hope. Indeed it is when we do not like what is happening around us that we most need to exercise our greatest patriotism.

We need patriots—and compatriots—who are willing to see the challenges before us, come together with others and take action.

Richard C. Harwood is president and founder of The Harwood Institute for Public Innovation, a nonpartisan, non-profit organization located in Bethesda, Md.