Update: McCain Selects Gov. Sarah Palin as Running Mate

[12thMan]

Originally Posted by 4mrusmc

12th, I too appreciate your service to our country. And I also was deployed in the middle east during Desert Storm.

But I'm sorry, I will not pretend to not see protesters who often times call themselves proud dems: disrespect, talk-down, spit, burn, and other unmentionable things to our flag and troops. I'm trying not to sound like the priviously mentioned "rep bubba" but here it goes. This country is home of the free, because of the brave. And because of hollywood and the sad times we live in today, it seems to be uncool to be a proud American who is patriotic. But you guys cannot explain it away enough for me the conduct that some of your demacratic friends have when they are at these protest events, and amongst themselves behind closed doors.

Dovetail that with the Obamas, their affilations with known America hating individuals. And comments like "this is the first time that I am proud of my country". I will choose not to vote for that this November.

Listen, I won't go tit for tat on what the Obama's said or meant to say, so called affiliations and such. Let the record speak for itself - the whole record. Trust me, I have no desire to convert or convince you, as it were. But I'll say this again, you or no one else is any position to question anyone's patriotism or love of country.

And for every flag burning, American hating protester that you claim are Democrats, one could easily turn around and point to a few of our Republican friends who haven't always upheld and in some cases denigrated our Constitution. Wouldn't it be foolish of me to make broad and sweeping assumptions that because Nixon was dishonest, that all Republican presidents shouldn't be trusted?

We live in a nation right now that is divided on a host of issues. Torture, immigration, and the war in Iraq, just to name a few. And whether you realize it or not, Americans in both parties aren't very proud of the last eight years. I don't think the issue is whether or not people are unpatriotic in all cases, sometimes they feel as though they aren't being listened to by their government.

By the way, what exactly is patriotism in your book? How do you define it?