An outreach project of Three Stone Farm

This is a fundamental misunderstanding of patriotism. Patriots stay and fight to make their country better. Cowards flee when things get tough, and authoritarians tell people to leave when their authority is criticized.

Patriotism is loving one’s country and thinking it could be improved.
Nationalism is loving one’s country and thinking it must be enshrined.

Most of our civil rights came from “agitators”

The “love it or leave it” mentality contradicts America’s founding principles and constitutional framework. The First Amendment explicitly protects dissent and criticism of government, while the Declaration of Independence itself was an act of rebellion against the ruling power. Historical civil rights figures like Frederick Douglass, Susan B. Anthony, and Martin Luther King Jr. were branded as unpatriotic troublemakers at the time, yet their persistent criticism of American failures helped expand liberty and justice. These patriots didn’t leave – they stayed and fought for the ideals America claimed to represent.

A familiar pattern throughout history

This same dismissive response appears throughout American history. The term “agitator” has historically been used by those in power to silence voices and protect the status quo. During the Vietnam War, anti-war protesters were told to leave the country, even though thousands were veterans who had served their nation with honor. The same response was used against civil rights activists in the 1960s, labor organizers in the early 1900s, and abolitionists before the Civil War. In each case, the “love it or leave it” response opposed changes that most Americans now recognize as necessary progress.

Self-criticism demonstrates strength, not weakness

The fundamental issue lies in confusing patriotism with blind loyalty. True patriotism requires holding the country accountable to its highest ideals rather than accepting problems in silence. Countries that discourage self-criticism and encourage dissidents to leave are typically authoritarian regimes, not healthy democracies. America’s greatest strength has always been its capacity for self-correction through democratic processes and open debate, not in abandoning critics.

Sources:

• https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2017/10/05/8-partisan-animosity-personal-politics-views-of-trump
• https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights/protesters-rights
• https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/declaration-transcript
• https://legalclarity.org/which-freedoms-are-guaranteed-under-the-1st-amendment
• https://www.britannica.com/topic/Nationalism-vs-Patriotism-Whats-the-Difference