Fortunate Son

What is patriotism? Is is loyalty to the current governmental system - the administration in power and whatever is decided to be the current course of action? Or is it loyalty to the Constitution itself - the fundamental blueprint that should pervade all that government does?  It can't be the first, for when the true "patriots" - the right, right?- speak, they consistently condemn the government in power. Certainly, and specifically, they attack the left leaning politicians.  But more than that, they denounce the very idea of government. So it must be loyalty to the country, not the government.  The country, whatever that is- but if it can be defined by one thing, -is the Constitution.  Which guarantees the right of free expression.  One can argue that being "disrespectful" during a song -and we are just talking about a song and a gesture - is effectively denouncing the principle which gives one the right to denounce it - the very basis for dissent undermines and unravels itself.  But, the inverse is at least equally true. That free expression is using the principle in the way it was intended, thereby validating it. If you can't actually use the principle, then using it doesn't invalidate it since it doesn't really exist or stand for anything. Sitting down in defiance doesn't actually protest the Constitution, it just protests the application of it, reinforcing that the spirit of it should override the letter of the law.  Therefore, it seems that actualizing the rights and freedoms guaranteed - particularly when that is done through heartfelt conviction and a belief that it will make the country better and more aligned with the original vision - is more patriotic than blindly following what everyone else does because they think it's the proper patriotic behavior.  That is just the opposite side of "political correctness," following a set of rules to appear correct while rejecting freedom.  I'm astounded by libertarian-leaning individuals who champion the rights of the individual when they condemn dissent.  I don't think the Nazi analogy is that far off, when we are talking about forcing people to worship the country in a systematic and un-criticizable way.  Real freedom only matters when it is opposed by others - not supported by mindless conformists- the critical dissenter is the one promoting the freedom of the individual and is the real patriot.