love to our country essay

• American Founding , Nationalism , Politics

What It Means To Love Our Country

• July 3, 2018

As we celebrate the anniversary of our country’s founding, singing songs of our love for America, it is appropriate to consider whether our country really is worth loving and, if she is, what it means to love her. This question is more important now than ever before: it is perhaps the dominant dividing line in America today.    

Take the recent strife over the national anthem. While some Americans use the anthem as an occasion for protest , other Americans see a failure to stand during its performance as a betrayal of the land they love. This is not merely a dispute over etiquette. It is a deep disagreement over that most fundamental of political questions: whether—and how—Americans ought to love their country. Many of the other conflicts currently roiling America’s public life—conflicts over symbols of America’s past , over immigration and refugees—emerge from disputes over this same question.  

This essay offers a possible answer. It begins with an explanation of how and why we can love America well, in a way that is not only defensible but noble, and it concludes by considering how this love should affect our politics.  

Patriotic Affection  

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Patriotic love properly begins with affection: the appreciation, the comprehension and esteem, of that which is good in its object. True affection appreciates only what is worthy of esteem. To esteem the vices in our country is not to love her well; indeed, it is not to love her at all.  

The affection we have for America ought to be prompted by the good things in her: the beauty of her rolling hills and soaring mountains, the nobility in her history, the justice in her laws and courts, the art and ideas her people have bequeathed to the world. And the highest sort of affection appreciates its object’s highest virtues. Americans ought to follow Pericles in appreciating that “[o]ur government does not copy our neighbors, but is an example to them.”  Athens, like America, had its share of Olympic medals; but better to exult in the constitution of our republic than in the constitution of our athletes.  

One might object here that this affection is too thin to be called patriotism . Affection cannot explain the unique love that American s feel for America. After all, one need not reside within our country’s borders to savor Steinbeck’s stories or marvel at Madison’s handiwork.  

The answer is that, as St. Augustine pointed out long ago, “nothing can be loved unless it be known.” No one can love America like an American because no one knows her like an American.  

But to say that knowledge is essential to love does not imply that patriotism is the unique province of intellectuals. The knowledge that leads to love of country is not necessarily or even frequently propositional. Rather, it is the firsthand experience of a place that gradually helps us see what is beautiful about it. Nor does this imply that only those born in America can genuinely love her. An immigrant who has suffered under the oppression of authoritarianism is in some ways especially capable of knowing the value of the freedom Americans enjoy.  

A perusal of the The  Federalist  might give an interested Frenchman an understanding of our governmental institutions. But true affection for our Constitution can come only from living under the government it structures, participating in the politics it makes possible, and exercising the freedoms it secures. In a word, we love our country because she is, in some important sense, ours .  

Protecting and Promoting America’s Goodness  

But our love for America should not be limited to this. Patriotic affection ought to elicit a further desire to protect and promote America’s goodness. Americans today are the beneficiaries of those who pledged their lives and sacred honor to form this country, those who spent their lives in the struggle to keep it, and those who have worked tirelessly to shape it into a more perfect union. We have many blessings to be grateful for, and the appropriate product of our gratitude is a desire to promote these blessings.  

This desire to protect and promote our country’s goodness is properly called patriotism, but it is patriotism of a particular kind. When our country struggles or our government errs, patriotism arouses us to safeguard the things we love. Our love for our country is originally founded on all the countless lovely things about her. But our love for America does not rest on its remaining lovely. If it did, it would be no love at all. Such a false patriotism is, as C.S. Lewis once put it, “like loving your children only if they’re good, your wife only while she keeps her looks, your husband only so long as he is famous and successful.”    

Because true patriotism appreciates America’s charms but refuses to esteem her faults, it does not cause us to blindly endorse everything our country is and has been. It will not even permit us to be unmoved by our country’s sins. We promote our country’s goodness both by celebrating its virtues and by identifying—and remedying—its vices. This patriotism will not allow us to mark as noble what is ignoble. It compels us to cherish those goods that ought to be cherished and to remedy those evils that ought to be remedied.     

This patriotism thus aims to protect and promote America’s goodness , not her government . It entails no particular commitment to, or satisfaction with, the ruling authority of the state. On the contrary, it will sometimes require criticizing our government when it fails to promote and protect what is good about America. We ought to have affection for the justice and peace that our government secures, and our love for our country ought to compel us to promote these blessings—including by holding our government to account. An unpatriotic heart is thus characterized not by agitation, but by apathy.  

Objections against Patriotism    

Patriotism is frequently criticized as an unjustifiable preference for people who happen to reside within the same arbitrary lines on a map. Patriotism conceives of one’s country as a morally relevant object, as something to which we are loyal and of which we take special consideration. Yet morality is typically—and rightly—understood to be universal, with individual human beings the locus of moral concern. A critic might be left wondering how any patriotism can justify treating a subset of human beings as deserving of special solicitude. There are at least three reasons why the patriotism described here is in fact justifiable.    

First, this patriotism describes an inclination of the heart. The critic might say that we ought to replace our desire to protect and promote our country’s goodness with a desire to protect and promote the world’s goodness. But when it comes to the inclinations of our hearts, cosmopolitan love is outside the reach of mere mortals; our hearts would break were we to experience the world’s tragedies as if each had happened to our own mother. One can recognize universal love as the ideal while still praising people’s progress  toward that ideal. Man’s natural inclination is to selfishness, not charity, and patriotism helps move him closer to the charity he ought to have. To return to Lewis: “those who do not love the fellow-villagers or fellow-townsmen whom they have seen are not likely to have got very far towards loving ‘Man’ whom they have not.”    

Second, this patriotism is constituted by a desire for our country’s good —not just her material prosperity, but her moral good as well. This patriotism therefore cannot justify ignoring the moral significance of non-Americans. All agree, for example, that we ought to love our family, and most even agree that this love rightfully privileges our family’s interests over others. But a familial love that justifies injustice to others is, in truth, an idolatrous imitator of love. Indeed, a proper patriotism, rather than promoting injustice, helps prevent it. As G.K. Chesterton argued , what is “really need[ed] for the frustration and overthrow of a deaf and raucous Jingoism is a renascence of the love of the native land.”    

Third, those inclined to take moral instruction from the Christian Bible have good reasons to affirm the nobility of loving one’s country as one’s country . Christ wept for Jerusalem. Paul was ready to sacrifice himself for his people. And there must be something to the story of Peter’s sermon at Pentecost: the miracle was not that those assembled heard the sermon in Peter’s language, but that they understood it in their own . The nations’ differences were not eliminated, but affirmed.    

Patriotism understood in this way—as the desire to protect and promote our country’s goodness—is not only justifiable. It is good. It stirs us to celebrate our country’s loveliness and inspires us to rectify her ugliness.  

How Patriotism Affects Politics  

On its surface, the patriotism outlined above shares some resemblance to the “new nationalism” some conservatives have celebrated in the current presidential administration. Matthew Continetti , for example, explains that the new nationalism binds Americans together “by our love of the land, its natural beauty, its inhabitants, its history, by what our people have achieved, what they have lost, what they have endured.” Likewise, Rich Lowry and Ramesh Ponnuru have endorsed a nationalism that “includes loyalty to one’s country: a sense of belonging, allegiance, and gratitude to it . . . [that] attaches to the country’s people and culture, not just to its political institutions and laws.”  

Continetti, Lowry, and Ponnuru are eager to craft policy recommendations from this new nationalism. But while the policies these writers recommend may or may not be prudent, it is difficult to see how they follow from an appreciation for, say, the beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains or the courage of Dr. King’s convictions. The patriotism described in this essay certainly does not entail them. Desiring to protect and promote the goodness in America will lead to us to care deeply about what our government does, yes; but arriving at particular policy prescriptions requires identifying not only what is good about America but also which policies will protect and promote this goodness.  

Take, as examples, limiting immigration and promoting the exclusive use of the English language, two of the policies suggested both by Continetti and by Lowry and Ponurru. These policies follow from our patriotic sentiments only if they further, rather than hinder, what is good about America. But how to decide? The magnificent dome of St. Josaphat’s Basilica in Milwaukee, Wisconsin is ringed with verses written in the Polish spoken by the church’s original parishioners. Today, Spanish-language flyers cover its interior. Is this an example of something about America that needs correction—say, the unfortunate reality that English is not as universally spoken as some Americans might like—or is it an example of what is good about America—say, America’s tradition of welcoming immigrants?    

History alone, while important, cannot give us the answer. As Ross Douthat has incisively observed, “the real American past was particularist as well as universalist.” That is, America is and has been a country of immigrants from all across the world, and it is and has been a country of Protestant, Lockean Englishmen. Each American, drawing on his own moral principles and aesthetic predilections, must decide which elements in America’s topography and culture and history are worthy of his affection—which elements are worth protecting and promoting.  

This debate will always be difficult. But it is essential that we see that those who disagree with us on this question are no less patriotic than we are.  

The bad news is that we will never reach consensus on exactly what is worth loving in our country. The good news is that many of the things Americans love about America are not mutually exclusive. Most of the time, our countrymen are right to love these things, for they are truly good things. Loving America well requires the capacity to relish the countless visions of her goodness held by Americans across our country.  

Most of all, loving America well means taking her seriously—working to preserve what is lovely about her and to fix what is not. No one can love America like an American, and that is precisely why we are called to do it.    

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Loving Your Country Means Teaching Its History Honestly

W hy do you love the United States of America? There is no better time to ask that question than on Independence Day. The answer to that question can and should tell us a great deal about whether our love of country is rooted in a healthy patriotism or a toxic nationalism. The answer to that question can also tell us a great deal about where we stand in one of America’s most intense culture wars, the war over American history.

Where I live, in a deep red part of the country, the fight over history—so vividly covered in TIME’s most recent cover story— is often rooted in fear. Parents are afraid children will not love their country unless they are taught that their country is good. Thus, to learn American history is to learn to be patriots. With that as a backdrop, education about America’s sins is perilous. Negative concepts must be introduced gently, and in precisely the right way, or it will shake the confidence and affection of young minds.

We see this concern quite explicitly in state laws designed to block instruction in critical race theory. One popular provision mandates that “slavery” and “racism” cannot be taught as “anything other than deviations from, betrayals of, or failures to live up to, the authentic founding principles of the United States.” But rooting patriotism in a particular view of the past is to misunderstand what patriotism should represent.

It should not be conditioned on a sense of national supremacism, or even national greatness—but instead on a sense of national home and national community, and the obligations we owe each other to create a more just land.

In his vital book The Four Loves , the Christian writer and theologian C.S. Lewis describes three ways in which people tend to love their nations. The first, and most benign, is what he calls “the love of home”—the love of the place where we live. “As the family offers us the first step beyond self-love,” Lewis writes, “so this offers us the first step beyond family selfishness.”

Moreover, the love of home also produces a sense of fellowship with citizens of other nations. “How can I love my home,” Lewis asks, “without coming to realise that other men, no less rightly, love theirs?”

Lewis then cautions against two other forms of affection, one that is rooted in a “particular attitude to our country’s past” and another that is rooted in the “firm, even prosaic belief that our own nation, in sober fact, has long been, and still is markedly superior to all others.”

Because nations, full of flawed people, invariably commit “shabby and even shameful” acts, rooting love of country in particular narratives or a particular sense of superiority creates a temptation to whitewash the truth, to deceive not so much by commission (actively telling lies) as omission (failing to tell the whole truth.)

For example, several days ago I participated in a fascinating online conversation centered around the question, “When did you first learn about the post-Reconstruction era in the American South?” This was an era of terrifying violence and repression, the era that implemented Jim Crow, and the era that ultimately helped trigger a massive “great migration” where millions of Black Americans fled their homes in the South for cities in the North and West.

I did not learn about these events in my Kentucky public school education. I didn’t learn about, for example, the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921 or the Wilmington Insurrection of 1898 until I was well in my 40s.

Had I rooted my love of country in the greatness of American history—and there is undeniable greatness—then learning the sheer extent of post-Civil War violent racial oppression would have been deeply disorienting. And it is often disorienting to those who are not taught to stare history in the face, to confront evil and cowardice even as we celebrate virtue and courage.

The terrible realities of 1619—when colonists first brought slaves to American shores—do not negate the ideals of the Declaration of Independence, but they were in direct and often violent tension with each other. And in many ways we live with that tension today. The legacy of centuries of slavery and Jim Crow are not wiped out in the decades of legal and cultural reform since the Civil Rights Act.

But we love our country anyway. Why? Not because it is always great—or even always good—but because it is our home. Its citizens are our neighbors. It is our national family. As with any family, loving our family means knowing our family. And yes that means telling our full story, the good, the bad, and the ugly. It means hearing from admirers and critics alike.

We should approach history with a sense of curiosity and security. You won’t make me hate my home. You can, however, motivate me to preserve what is pristine and repair what is broken. You can make me proud of the beauty and sorry for the injustice.

My own family story mirrors the best and worst of our national story. There’s heroism. Ancestors served in Valley Forge and traveled across the ocean to fight in two world wars. There’s betrayal. In the Civil War, the vast majority of my family wore gray. I’m grateful for their virtues, and I’m convicted by their sins. Together, they help motivate me to seek justice in my own turn on this earth.

So teach it all. Good and bad. Ugly and beautiful. Teach it all and understand that the greatest form of patriotism doesn’t depend on cultivating a national narrative but rather in appreciating our obligations to our national home. History lessons shouldn’t be designed to create patriots. They should be designed to educate citizens—secure in the knowledge that well-educated citizens are most apt to learn to love their nation well.

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Home — Essay Samples — Government & Politics — Patriotism — What Does It Mean to Love Your Country

What Does It Mean to Love Your Country

• Categories: Patriotism

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Words: 561 |

Published: Sep 5, 2023

Words: 561 | Page: 1 | 3 min read

Table of contents

Civic responsibility and loyalty, cultural appreciation and identity, active engagement and critique, respect for shared humanity, conclusion: a profound commitment.

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For Love of Country: An Essay On Patriotism and Nationalism

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In scholarly literature and common language, patriotism is often conflated with nationalism, which is associated with an exclusive, intolerant, and irrational attachment to one's nation. As the history of Fascism and Nazism shows, patriotism understood as nationalism can have disastrous consequences. Nevertheless, this book argues that the language of patriotism must be distinguished from that of nationalism. While nationalism values the cultural, religious, and ethnic unity of a people, patriotism is the love of a people's common liberty, which gives us the strength to resist oppression by the selfish ambitions of particular individuals. In addition, patriotism is a rational love, since civic virtue is instrumental to the preservation of law and order, which is the prerequisite of our liberty. The question we must address is how to make our particular love of one's own country compatible with the universal principles of liberty and justice. Through a historical interpretation of patriotism from classical antiquity to contemporary debates, Viroli explores the possibility of patriotism without nationalism; i.e. one that emphasizes political unity based on the republican commitment to the common good, rather than cultural, religious, or ethnic homogeneity.

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A Discourse on the Love of Our Country by Richard Price Essay

The values play an important role in our world perception and outlook. A person can be characterized by the values to which they adhere. In addition, the value systems are also used as the means of persuasion influencing the decision making and attitude.

The aim of this essay is to explain the values on which the essay A Discourse on the Love of our Country is focused.

The understanding of the values of an individual can provide an insight into their way of thinking and behavior, thus allowing determination of the motives and goals of the individual. The motives and goals are the fundamental factors influencing the decision making. The ways by which value systems as well as decision making systems vary is rather similar. Both of them vary according to the degree of their sensitivity to the motives of the subject, its knowledge about its environment, and the intrinsic timescales (Dayan, n.d., p.68).

The essay A Discourse on the Love of our Country touches upon such values as patriotism, love of the own country, national pride and identity. If the value system formed in the society consists of such values, it can be said that the people are strongly dedicated to their native land. If these values are considered to be the highest in the society, then the people will sacrifice other values in case of the threat to their motherland and nation.

It goes without saying that the essay A Discourse on the Love of our Country is aimed at the persuasion of people in the supremacy of values of virtue, truth, and liberty (Price, 1790). The author tries to dispose the readers to patriotic mood. However, the author explains that the love of the own country may also be different. He stresses that the care should be taken for encouraging people to have the virtue, truth, and liberty as the highest values while cultivating the love of their native land. Only if people value these ethical norms the most, their love of their own country will not lead to the disrespect to other nations which, as history proves, sometimes can be disastrous for mankind.

In order to persuade the readers in his point of view, the author uses certain principles of persuasion which are based on the psychology of people. In particular, it is said by the specialists that the relevance of the issue to the personal needs of the audience plays a crucial role in the success of persuasion.

“When relevance was high, increasing the number of strong arguments led to more persuasion, but increasing the number of weak arguments led to less persuasion…Under low relevance, all that mattered was the number of reasons given” (Shavitt & Brock, 1994, p.136).

We can notice in the essay that the author uses a substantial number of arguments supporting his ideas. This is due to the relative irrelevance of the issue discussed to the personal needs of the majority of people. Although most of us take care about the importance of being a patriot of your own country, in our day to day life we are more concerned with our daily wants.

In addition, we can see that the author refers to the religious sources. He uses a strong people commitment to the Bible by quoting the Psalms to support his view and to make people interested in the topic of his discourse.

Finally, a plenty of interrogative and exclamatory sentences is used by the author to make the readers inspired with his ideas. It can be said that in his essay he tries to establish a dialogue with the audience. Firstly, he raises the questions making the readers think about the issue and then replies to them. In such a way he shows that there is nothing to think about as the answers are already known.

“Be encouraged, all ye friends of freedom and writers in its defence! The times are auspicious… Behold kingdoms, admonished by you, starting from sleep, breaking their fetters, and claiming justice from their oppressors!…You cannot now hold the world in darkness…Restore to mankind their rights and consent to the correction of abuses, before they and you are destroyed together” (Price, 1790, p.50-51).

These are the words which end the essay. Undoubtedly, they are aimed at motivating and inspiring people by using the exclamatory sentences. Moreover, the sentences are enriched with the metaphors which make them sounder. The final sentence tells the audience about the threat to their own life and well-being if they remain passive.

In order to summarize all above mentioned, it should be said that the essay A Discourse on the Love of our Country written by Richard Price in the XVIII century represents a bright example of the message addressed to the public with the intention to inspire them for actions. His primary goal is to inspire people for struggle by emphasizing the supremacy of the values of virtue, truth, and liberty which, according to him, are threatened. In order to reach his goal, the author uses certain techniques of persuasion influencing the decision making of people.

Dayan, P. (n.d.). The role of value system in decision making . Web.

Price, R. (1790). A Discourse on the Love of Our Country: Delivered on Nov. 4, 1789, at the Meeting-house in the Old Jewry, to the Society for Commemorating the Revolution in Great Britain. London, the United Kingdom: J. Stafford.

Shavitt, Sh., & Brock, T. C. (1994). Persuasion: psychological insights and perspectives . Needham Heights, USA: Allyn and Bacon.

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IvyPanda. (2020, May 23). A Discourse on the Love of Our Country by Richard Price. https://ivypanda.com/essays/a-discourse-on-the-love-of-our-country-by-richard-price/

"A Discourse on the Love of Our Country by Richard Price." IvyPanda , 23 May 2020, ivypanda.com/essays/a-discourse-on-the-love-of-our-country-by-richard-price/.

IvyPanda . (2020) 'A Discourse on the Love of Our Country by Richard Price'. 23 May.

IvyPanda . 2020. "A Discourse on the Love of Our Country by Richard Price." May 23, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/a-discourse-on-the-love-of-our-country-by-richard-price/.

1. IvyPanda . "A Discourse on the Love of Our Country by Richard Price." May 23, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/a-discourse-on-the-love-of-our-country-by-richard-price/.

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IvyPanda . "A Discourse on the Love of Our Country by Richard Price." May 23, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/a-discourse-on-the-love-of-our-country-by-richard-price/.

That We Love Our Country More

In defeat, liz cheney seizes the high ground and declares war on the party of trump.

Photo Credit: Oscar C. Williams/Shutterstock.com

Nobody—much less Cheney herself—imagined that there would be a last-minute deal that would keep her in the Republican leadership.

And there wasn’t. Within 20 minutes of the Republican caucus gaveling in its regular 9:00 AM Wednesday meeting, Liz Cheney was removed from leadership by a quick voice vote. Virginia Foxx (NC-5) offered the motion, and Kevin McCarthy put it on the floor immediately. Five members of the conference asked for the vote to be recorded, but McCarthy—who repeatedly said there would be a secret ballot—refused.

This suggests that there was far more support for Cheney in the conference than the party leadership wants to admit and that a recorded ballot would have revealed the depth of McCarthy’s weakness as Leader.

And the vote, concluded as swiftly as the guillotine dropped during Thermidor, seems not to have punished Cheney but strengthened her. At least, that is how she is selling it. “I will do everything I can to make sure the former President never gets anywhere near the Oval Office,”  she vowed , apparently unshaken, as she faced reporters outside the chamber. “We cannot be dragged backward by the dangerous lies of a former President.”

With these words, Cheney established two things. Avoiding the opportunity to denounce Trump’s populist loyalists or her colleagues—a move that would implicate a significant subset of Republican voters sucked in by the fantasy that Joe Biden is an illegitimate president—she has identified the danger to democracy as Donald Trump himself. Cheney is not only the first Republican but perhaps the first politician in either party to explicitly declare that it is the Former Guy, and only the Former Guy, who poses a clear and present danger to the nation.

Everyone else is a follower, including Kevin McCarthy.

Second, Cheney consistently frames her struggle against the Big Lie as a defense of the Constitution which, whatever other disagreements you may have with her, it is. Last night, Cheney  gave a speech  on an almost empty floor that some have compared to moderate Republican Margaret Chase Smith’s 1950 “ Declaration of Conscience .” That both women were rebuking a man named McCarthy is no accident, nor was Cheney’s decision in that context to frame the Big Lie as a national security threat. “Attacks against our democratic process and the rule of law empower our adversaries and feed Communist propaganda that American democracy is a failure,” she said. “We must speak the truth, our election was not stolen, and America has not failed.”

“Ultimately,” Cheney concluded,

This is at the heart of what our oath requires, that we love our country more. That we love her so much that we will stand above politics to defend her. That we will do everything in our power to protect our Constitution and our freedom that has been paid for by the blood of so many. We must love America so much that we will never yield in her defense. That is our duty.

Cheney reiterated the necessity of defending the rule of law when she addressed reporters after being summarily stripped of her office. In rebuking “the former president” (she doesn’t use Trump’s name), Cheney specifically cited “his lack of commitment and dedication to the Constitution,” offering herself as an alternative party leader, and a moral center, for Republican dissenters to rally around.

In the face of Kevin McCarthy’s stated aim of unifying the party around the defense of Trump’s lies, Cheney has offered another possibility for winning back the government: principled division. Historians may look back on this moment as a turning point, not just for Trumpism, but for politics itself: when invited to proceed in lockstep towards a cynical strategy for seizing power, will the GOP embrace the Constitution, or will it embrace oligarchy?

And while Cheney may seem like a lone warrior, she isn’t. The merits of dividing the GOP are being debated far more broadly, and Cheney’s impending defenestration may have hastened the process of revealing those conversations. On Tuesday, 100 prominent Republicans, some former officials in the Trump administration,  issued a statement  that could lay the groundwork for a breakaway third party. “When in our democratic republic,” its preamble reads, “forces of conspiracy, division, and despotism arise, it is the patriotic duty of citizens to act collectively in defense of liberty and justice.”

What is at stake is also the future of conservatism within a constitutional democracy. As Miles Taylor, one of the organizers, explained, “I’m one of those in the group that feels very strongly that if we can’t get the G.O.P. back to a rational party that supports free minds, free markets, and free people, I’m out and a lot of people are coming with me.”

Although McCarthy has billed Cheney’s demotion as a necessary step from which party unity will naturally follow, Cheney’s willingness to stay and fight—rather than retire, as many dissenting Republicans have—may galvanize allies. “I’m all for unity,” said the consistently outspoken Rep. Adam Kinzinger (IL-16),  speaking to reporters  about his pride in Cheyney’s principled stand. “I’m all for unity  and truth , you know? Truth cannot coexist with lies. Truth cannot coexist with falsehood. You cannot unify with that. And I think that’s what Liz has been saying.”

Kinzinger was careful not to stigmatize MAGA supporters who continue to believe wild conspiracy theories generated, first from the White House and then from MAG-A-Lago. “By the way? To our base voters who believe the election was stolen? Honestly, I don’t  blame  them because their leaders have told them the same thing. That’s why it’s important for people to tell the truth.”

Cheney’s strategy is starting to emerge forcefully. Policy differences are something we can argue about. But if a politician cannot tell the truth about something as basic as winning or losing an election, that politician is not doing their most basic job—defending the Constitution and being a leader, not a follower.

It’s really that simple, whether you are a Republican or a Democrat: as Margaret Chase Smith said in 1950, “I think that it is high time that we remembered that we have sworn to uphold and defend the Constitution.” And even though she is no longer in a leadership role in the party, Cheney has skillfully managed to seize that ground for herself.

Claire Bond Potter is Professor of Historical Studies at The New School for Social Research, and co-Executive Editor of Public Seminar. Her most recent book is  Political Junkies: From Talk Radio to Twitter, How Alternative Media Hooked Us on Politics and Broke Our Democracy  (Basic Books, 2020). This essay first appeared as a post on her Substack ,  Political Junkie .

Claire Potter

Contributing Editor, Public Seminar, and Emeritus Professor of History, The New School for Social Research

2 thoughts on “ That We Love Our Country More ”

What a terrific (and concise) analysis! We’re reminded of how quickly the first McCarthy melted away in the face of MCS’s speech and Welsh’s “Have you no sense of decency?” Cheney shrewdly anchors her apostacy on morality, which opens up a path for decent people to follow — and displays the latest McCarthy’s craven surrender in high relief.

Thank you Claudia — yes. The fact that so few Republicans want to “move on” without acknowledging that they have gaslighted their voters is, in itself, a component of the Big Lie.

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How to Love Your Country

Last Updated: February 22, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by wikiHow Staff . Our trained team of editors and researchers validate articles for accuracy and comprehensiveness. wikiHow's Content Management Team carefully monitors the work from our editorial staff to ensure that each article is backed by trusted research and meets our high quality standards. There are 21 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 382,861 times. Learn more...

Having a great passion or love for your country can help you learn about your nation's history and become a better member of your national community. Learning how to love your country, or learning how to love your country even more , happens through becoming familiar with your country's culture and history and taking an active role as a citizen. And once you develop a sense of what it means to live in your nation, you can start displaying your patriotism by wearing symbolic clothing, flying the flag, celebrating national holidays, and devoting yourself to making your country the best place to be!

Displaying Your Patriotism

• Some national colors are indeterminable from one another. A unique flag shape like Nepal’s flag, however, is undoubtedly unique. Two pennants on top of one another, with a sun and moon inside, is different from all other rectangular and square flags. [1] X Research source
• The bear has been associated with Russia since the late 1500s. It represents a variety of things, like guardian status. A fierce bear on a red shirt, perhaps superimposed on top of a hammer and sickle, is unmistakably Russian. [2] X Research source
• There is a wide variety of flags with red, white, and blue, and those with stars, but there are none other than the United States flag, with that grouping of colors and prominent 50 stars. [3] X Research source An article of U.S. flag apparel is very recognizable.

• Learn the flag etiquette. Generally, a flag should not touch the ground, be used in severe disrepair, or disposed of improperly. In the US, the flag should not be a part of a uniform, costume, or outfit. [4] X Research source
• Fold the flag properly when it’s being stored. There is a precise way to fold each flag, and researching your specific flag should provide you with specific instructions on the proper folding techniques. [5] X Research source

• Participate by getting up and dancing to traditional music.
• Cheer on the participants who are beaming with national pride.

Investing Yourself in Your Country

• Volunteer at a voting or polling area. Take part in the voting process by helping others who may not be as versed in politics, or who may not understand specific ballot measures upon which they are voting.
• Be part of a phone bank. Call several people with the script provided by your political party, or member running for office. You’ll appreciate it when you reach someone who shares your appreciation for the political process. [7] X Research source
• Raise funds for your candidate’s campaign. Whether it’s asking for large donations from big contributors, or hosting a fund-raising event, running for office takes a significant amount of money.

• Remember that blind patriotism can be dangerous. Encourage your children to use their minds.

• Medal of Honor winners are a perfect role model. Whether it’s the Victoria Cross of U.K. and Commonwealth countries, the Congressional Medal of Honor from the U.S., or the Order of Taegeuk Military Merit from South Korea, someone who is awarded the highest military honor has most likely sacrificed much for their country. [8] X Research source
• Great leaders responsible for sweeping reforms are great role models. One such ruler, King Chulalongkorn of Siam, became the king and immediately attempted visionary reforms such as ending slavery, remodeling the judicial and financial systems, avoiding colonialism, and setting up the structure for current-day Thai citizenship. [9] X Research source
• Athletes are sometimes great national heroes. For instance, during the buildup for WWII, Adolf Hitler planned to use the Olympics as a display of Aryan dominance. U.S. track star Jesse Owens ruined those plans by capturing four gold medals in as many events. [10] X Research source

Educating Yourself about Your Country

• Read about where your country stood during various wars near and afar. Who were their allies and nemeses? Did they always align with the righteous side of history, or have they historically been considered the villain in large confrontations? [12] X Research source
• Research the politics of your nation. Was it always in its current form? Or did a great war or uprising change the system from something like a monarchy to a republic? [13] X Research source
• Look up the great milestones during your country’s history. Check the timeline from inception until today, analyzing and interpreting the major events.

• The Canadian National Anthem was written in Quebec city by Sir Adolphe-Basile Routhier and was initially titled “Chant national.” It represents the combined feelings, particularly after WWI, of a united French and English-speaking Canada. [14] X Research source
• During the French Revolution, a French Army captain named Claude-Joseph Rouget de Lisle composed “La Marseillaise” – named so because troops from Marseilles sang it when approaching Paris – as an act of defiance against the combined invading forces of Austria and Prussia. It’s meant as a rallying cry for citizens fighting for their rights and liberty. [15] X Research source
• Written by Francis Scott Key in September of 1812, the U.S. National Anthem – also known as The Star-Spangled Banner – started as a poem celebrating the perseverance of U.S. Fort McHenry during British attack. The lyrics were written on a British ship the morning after a pre-battle, prisoner release negotiating. That following morning he was let off the ship and the lyrics are his recollection Fort McHenry’s triumph. [16] X Research source

• The Chinese held the secret to silk production for over 3000 years. It was said they held the secret to their lucrative export so dearly that anyone revealing the production secrets was sentenced to death. [17] X Research source
• One Egyptian legend says King Surid had a dream where the flat earth flipped upside down, and because of that, he inserted riches inside the pyramids and sealed them. [18] X Research source Since some of the pyramids are yet undiscovered, this may yet be true.
• The American Indian legends related to “Devil’s Tower” say a great god pushed rock and earth upward and upward to save young boys from a great bear, one who scratched and clawed to get them. [19] X Trustworthy Source US National Park Service Agency responsible for the maintenance and promotion of national parks and monuments Go to source Given that “Devil’s Tower” was formed by a geological process called intrusion, the legend is actually somewhat correct.

• On May 23, 2016, India became just the third nation in the world to launch a space shuttle, potentially cutting other nations' costs by ten-fold. [20] X Research source
• The Syrian refugee crisis of 2016 has affected numerous countries. The experience has been debated far and wide, but learning about why your country has or hasn’t helped is a potentially debatable moral issue of our time. [21] X Research source

Community Q&A

• Don't be prejudiced or biased. Every country, religion, or racial group has its own beliefs. Like them, you have your own beliefs, so respect them for theirs. Loving your own country does not mean disparaging other countries. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• You certainly do not have to agree with every event and decision made in your country's history to love your country. Consider how the country recovered from mistakes, as well as its ideology as described in some guiding documents (such as a constitution). Although such principles are not absolute, reflect on whether these precepts are conducive to a government you think would act with its citizens -- and humanity's -- best interests at heart. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Abusing your country or taking advantage of any of its systems or programs is not a good way to show your love. Such corrupt action goes against the goodwill that should be at the core of patriotism. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

• Don't succumb to blind patriotism or jingoism. No country is perfect, and ignoring the negative parts of history and modern events is not a way to increase love. In fact, by acknowledging past mistakes, and advocating for change in the present, you can help create a better country that you and others can be even more proud of. Thanks Helpful 7 Not Helpful 1
• Always follow the flag code. Thanks Helpful 12 Not Helpful 6

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/np.html
• ↑ https://symbolhunt.com/russian-federation/
• ↑ https://www.dirjournal.com/blogs/understanding-the-design-behind-national-flags/
• ↑ https://www.usflag.org/flagetiquette.html
• ↑ https://www.flaginstitute.org/wp/british-flags/flying-flags-in-the-united-kingdom/british-flag-protocol/#index9
• ↑ https://www.infoplease.com/culture-entertainment/holidays/national-holidays-around-world
• ↑ https://nonsequiteuse.wordpress.com/2013/10/03/13-ways-to-volunteer-on-a-campaign/
• ↑ https://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/defence-watch/korea-awards-its-highest-military-medal-to-canadian-veteran
• ↑ https://www.britannica.com/biography/Chulalongkorn
• ↑ https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/owens-wins-4th-gold-medal
• ↑ https://scholarship.claremont.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2036&context=cmc_theses
• ↑ https://www.discovermagazine.com/mind/who-are-historys-heroes-and-villains-a-world-opinion-survey
• ↑ https://www.mofa.go.jp/policy/other/bluebook/1990/1990-2-1.htm
• ↑ https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/o-canada/
• ↑ https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-34843770
• ↑ https://www.shmoop.com/study-guides/the-star-spangled-banner/meaning.html
• ↑ https://www.sacred-texts.com/earth/osgp/osgp10.htm
• ↑ https://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/pyramidlegends.htm
• ↑ https://www.nps.gov/deto/learn/historyculture/first-stories.htm
• ↑ https://www.techinsider.io/india-space-shuttle-launch-images-2016-5
• ↑ https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-34131911

About This Article

Loving your country can help you appreciate your blessings and support your fellow citizens. Read books or watch documentaries to learn about the history of your country and the people who shaped it. Find out about the stories behind your national holidays and celebrate them when they come around every year. You can also learn the national anthem so you can sing along at sports games and other public events. If you want to display your love for your country, fly your national flag in your house, on your lawn, or on your car. Loving your country doesn’t mean you agree with every decision your government makes or that you dislike other countries. It just means you’re proud to live there and be a part of the culture. For more tips, including how to support your country politically, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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AZ Writing | Sample Essays, Example Research Papers and Tips

Free essay samples, research paper examples and academic writing tips for students

Patriotism: Love of the Country Essay

Patriotism is the feeling of love and respect of your country, its history and traditions. Patriotism is a natural and probably the most important factor of the country’s success, because if people are the patriots, they work hard for the development of their country, protection of its historical heritage and improvement of the love towards the culture of the nation. The people who do not love their native country and have no idea about its traditions and history are not able to be called the people of this country, they are the simple citizens, who just live on its territory.

Patriotism is the major factor, which makes people create the human history, works hard, fight and die for their country. Without this factor there would be no wars, dignity and courage. When the aggressor tries to invade the country, it can simple capitulate, but it does not, because there are people who want to see their country independent, flourishing and rich. No one enjoys when the stranger comes into his house and starts to set his own rules. The same thing is the country. If the invader starts to dictate with will, people start to protect their homes and the whole country with the purpose to maintain its identity and uniqueness.

Patriotism is the respect of the native history. It is natural and essential to be aware about the most important facts of the history of your country, because you learn many new and fascinating facts about the average people, their lifestyle, the failure and success and you start to realize how much does it cost to make the country prosperous, stable and convenient for life. Patriotism is not the love towards the territory of the country, it is the love towards the traditions and people who live on this territory, so it is important to have patriotic feeling in order to show the respect towards the ones who have contributed into the development of the country and its current peaceful condition.

It is a positive thing that patriotism is propagated since childhood, because children are the future of every country and if they love this country, they would strive to improve it further. Patriotism is not the humiliation of other countries and ethnicities; it is a natural love and respect towards the native country and this attitude should exist in everyone if he wants his country to be prosperous and esteemed.

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25 Replies to “Patriotism: Love of the Country Essay”

Patriotism is love for country.It is a powerfull centriment and is wholly unselfish noble.It patriot puts his country first .His idealism gives him courage and strength.

To much essay you should read it

I Love my country

You should add quotations to the essay to add to its beauty otherwise good essay .

Nice essay, thanks!

Easy to learn.

وہ کیسی عورتیں تھیں؟؟ جو گیلی لکڑیوں کو پھونک کر چولہا جلاتی تھیں جو سل پر سرخ مرچیں پیس کر سالن پکاتی تھیں صبح سے شام تک مصروف، لیکن مسکراتی تھیں

بھری دوپہر میں سر اپنا ڈھک کر ملنے آتی تھیں جو پنکھے ہاتھ کےجھلتی تھیں اور پھر بھی تھک نہ پاتی تھیں جو دروازے پہ رک کر دیر تک رسمیں نبھاتی تھیں

پلنگوں پر نفاست سے دری چادر بچھاتی تھیں بصد اصرار مہمانوں کو سرہانے بٹھاتی تھیں اگر گرمی زیادہ ہو تو روح افزا پلاتی تھیں

جو اپنی بیٹیوں کو سوئیٹر بننا سکھاتی تھیں سلائی کی مشینوں پر کڑے روزے بتاتی تھیں بڑی پلیٹوں میں جو افطار کے حصّے بناتی تھیں

جو کلمےکاڑھ کر لکڑی کے فریموں میں سجاتی تھیں دعائیں پھونک کر بچوں کو بستر پر سلاتی تھیں اور اپنی جائے نمازیں موڑ کر تکیہ لگاتی تھیں

کوئی سائل جو دستک دے اسے کھانا کھلاتی تھیں پڑوسن مانگ لے کچھ، باخوشی دیتی دلاتی تھیں جو رشتوں کو برتنے کے کئی نسخے بتاتی تھیں

محلے میں کوئی مر جائے تو آنسو بہاتی تھیں کوئی بیمار پڑ جائے تو اس کے پاس جاتی تھیں کوئی تہوار ہو تو خوب مل جل کر مناتی تھیں

وہ کیسی عورتیں تھیں؟؟

میں جب گھر اپنےجاتا ہوں تو فرصت کے زمانوں میں انہیں ہی ڈھونڈتا پھرتا ہوں گلیوں اور مکانوں میں کسی میلاد میں، جزدان میں، تسبیح کے دانوں میں کسی برآمدے کے طاق پر، باورچی خانوں میں

مگر اپنا زمانہ ساتھ لیکر کھو گئی ہیں وہ کسی اک قبر میں ساری کی ساری سو گئی ہیں وہ…

this is toooooooooooo long…

Add some research work and give examples of national heros and their patriotic actions …..

Nice. …………..

Fantastic essay

Good composition…. Well done. Xtra_ordinary characterized in the sentence of patriotism.

If you give me your phone number,i will more and more suggest for me… you,r intelligent~

nice essay…thanks for this…

F ifiv krZkhk kvugkxy

Good and fantastic

Thanks for supporting us.

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• Our Country Essay

500 Words Essay On Our Country

India, our country is the finest example of ‘unity in diversity. People from different backgrounds and religions live here in peace and harmony. Moreover, our country is known for having a variety of languages. So much so that you will find a different language at every 100 kilometres in our country. Through our country essay, we will take you through what India is.

Unity in Diversity- Our Country Essay

India is a unique country that harbours different kinds of people that speak different languages, eat different foods and wear a variety of clothes. What makes our country special is that despite so many differences, people always live together in peace.

Our country, India, lies in South Asia. It is a large country that is home to approximately 139 crore people. Moreover, India is also the biggest democracy in the whole world. Having one of the oldest civilizations, it is a very rich country.

Our country has fertile soil that makes it the largest wheat producer in the whole world. India has given birth to famous personalities in the field of literature and science. For instance, Rabindranath Tagore, CV Raman, Dr Abdul Kalam, and others are Indians.

It is a country that is home to thousands of villages. Similarly, the fields of India are fed by the mighty rivers. For instance, Ganga, Kaveri, Yamuna, Narmada, and more are rivers of India.

Most importantly, the coasts of our country are guarded by the deep oceans and the mighty Himalayas are our natural frontiers. Being a secular state, India has a variety of religions that prosper happily together.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Famous Things of Our Country Essay

The culture of our country is immensely rich and famous worldwide. The different languages we speak and the different Gods we worship does not create differences between us. We all share the same spirit.

The spirit of India runs throughout the country. Further, India is famous for having a lot of tourist spots. For instance, the Taj Mahal, Qutub Minar, Gateway of India, Hawa Mahal, Charminar, and more are quite popular.

These attractions bring together people from all over the world. Similarly, we have Kashmir which is known as paradise on earth. The natural beauty of Kashmir, the mighty rivers and gorgeous valleys truly make it a paradise.

Besides that, India is famous for having a very rich food culture. There are so many cuisines found within our country that it is not possible to have it all in one trip. We get to have the best of everything due to the richness.

Conclusion of Our Country Essay

All in all, our country has a thousand-year-old culture. It is also given the world the gifts of yoga and Ayurveda. Besides that, India has contributed significantly to the field of science, music, maths, philosophy, and more. It is an essential country in almost every sphere globally.

FAQ on Our Country Essay

Question 1: What makes our country special and different from other countries?

Answer 1: Our country is special and unique as it is responsible for giving many inventions to the world like the number zero, the game of chess, the value of pi, and more. There are around 90,000 kinds of animals in our country and about 50,000 plant species.

Question 2: How can we improve our country?

Answer 2: We can improve our country by sharing resources so we lower our ecological footprint. Further, it is essential to promote education and empower women. We must work together to reform the system so everyone gets a better life in our country.

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Essay on I Love My Country India

Students are often asked to write an essay on I Love My Country India in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on I Love My Country India

Introduction.

India, my beloved country, is a land of rich heritage and diverse cultures. Its unique identity has been shaped by its history, geography, and vibrant traditions.

Unity in Diversity

India is known as the land of “Unity in Diversity”, where people of different religions, languages, and cultures live together in harmony.

Rich Heritage

India’s rich history and heritage are evident in its numerous monuments, temples, and archaeological sites.

I love my country India for its spirit of tolerance, unity, and respect for all. It is a country where love, peace, and harmony prevail.

250 Words Essay on I Love My Country India

India: a mosaic of cultures.

India, my motherland, is a country that has always fascinated me with its diversity and rich heritage. This vibrant nation is a beautiful tapestry of various cultures, traditions, languages, and religions, each contributing to the unique identity that is India. The cultural richness is not just in the variety, but also the intermingling of these diverse elements, creating a blend that is uniquely Indian.

The Land of Historical Grandeur

India’s history is a saga of rise and fall of mighty empires, each leaving an indelible imprint on the country’s psyche. The architectural marvels, like the Taj Mahal, Qutub Minar, and Hampi ruins, are testimonies to India’s historical grandeur. These historical landmarks are not just tourist attractions, but also symbols of our glorious past, serving as reminders of the resilience and creativity of our ancestors.

India’s Contribution to the World

India has given the world many priceless gifts, from the profound philosophical thoughts of Vedanta to the holistic health system of Ayurveda. The concept of zero, the decimal system, and yoga are significant contributions of India to the world. These contributions underline the advanced thinking and scientific temperament of ancient India, which continues to inspire us today.

Challenges and the Path Ahead

Despite its many strengths, India faces significant challenges such as poverty, corruption, and environmental degradation. However, I firmly believe that with the collective efforts of its citizens, India can overcome these hurdles. The path ahead is demanding, but the spirit of India, characterized by resilience and adaptability, gives me hope.

In conclusion, my love for India is not just about its past glory or cultural richness. It is about the potential I see in this country and its people. It is about the shared dreams, struggles, and aspirations that bind us together as a nation.

500 Words Essay on I Love My Country India

India, often referred to as Bharat, is more than just a geographical entity; it is a living, breathing organism that has been pulsating with vibrant life for centuries. I love my country, India, for its rich cultural heritage, diverse traditions, and the unity that underlies its diversity. The love I hold for my country is not blind patriotism, but an appreciation for the values it stands for and its relentless pursuit of progress.

The Land of Diversity

India is a land of unparalleled diversity. From the snow-capped peaks of the Himalayas in the north to the sun-kissed beaches of Kerala in the south, the geographical diversity is breathtaking. This diversity extends to its people, languages, religions, and cultures. Despite this diversity, there is an underlying unity, a thread of commonality that binds us all. This unity in diversity is a testament to our tolerant and inclusive ethos, making India a unique country.

Cultural Heritage

India’s cultural heritage is one of the oldest and richest in the world. It is a country where history breathes in every corner, from the ancient temples and monuments to the folk traditions and festivals. The Indian civilization, tracing its roots to the Indus Valley Civilization, has contributed significantly to the world in fields ranging from mathematics and science to philosophy and art. The concept of zero, yoga, Ayurveda, the philosophical texts of the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita, all originated in this land. This rich cultural heritage makes me proud of my country.

Democratic Values

India is the world’s largest democracy, a fact that fills me with immense pride. The democratic principles of equality, freedom, and justice are deeply ingrained in the Indian psyche. The Indian Constitution, one of the world’s most comprehensive legal documents, guarantees fundamental rights to all its citizens, irrespective of their caste, creed, gender, or religion. This commitment to democratic values and human rights is one of the reasons I love my country.

Relentless Pursuit of Progress

Despite numerous challenges, India has shown a relentless pursuit of progress. It is one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, a global leader in information technology, and a pioneer in space exploration. The Indian government’s initiatives towards sustainable development and digital India, along with its efforts to uplift the marginalized sections of society, are commendable. This spirit of resilience and progress inspires me and deepens my love for India.

In conclusion, my love for India stems from its rich cultural heritage, its unity in diversity, its democratic values, and its relentless pursuit of progress. India, with its vibrant and inclusive society, has the potential to lead the world towards a more harmonious and sustainable future. As a citizen, I am proud to be a part of this great nation, and I am committed to contributing to its growth and prosperity. I love my country, not because it is perfect, but because it is mine, and it is continuously striving to be better.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

If you’re looking for more, here are essays on other interesting topics:

• Essay on Experience to Remember in India
• Essay on President of India
• Essay on Inflation in India

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My Country Essay

India has such a deep history and culture that one will become lost in its beauty while looking for it. India is a nation renowned for its cultural richness, delicious cuisine, and friendly people. Here are a few sample essays on the topic ‘My Country’.

100 Words Essay On My Country

Indian culture plays a significant role in people's lives. With its vibrant culture, cuisine, history, and traditions, it makes people's lives happier. Despite the fact that it is recognised as the birthplace of Buddhism and Hinduism, all people of all faiths coexist harmoniously in this region. People fall head over heels in love with India's diverse cuisine and spices, which are famous worldwide. Along with the well-known Taj Mahal, it features amazing architecture and monuments. It has given the world many things, like ayurveda, zero, yoga, and many others. The diverse set of values distinguishes India from other countries of the world.

200 Words Essay On My Country

India, also known as Hindustan, is the biggest democracy in the world. It is a secular and democratic country, meaning that the citizens of India have the right to vote in choosing their leaders. India is known as a country with "Unity in diversity". It means that people with different cultures and traditions speaking different languages live together. India is bounded in the north by the snow-capped Himalayas and in the south by Sri Lanka and the Indian Ocean. In the east by the Bay of Bengal and in the west by the Arabian Sea.

India shares its borders with countries like Pakistan, Afghanistan, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar and Bangladesh. India is one of the oldest civilisations in the world. It has been recorded as the second most populous country after China.

India has immensely contributed to the fields of literature and science. Authors like Rabindranath Tagore, Ruskin Bond, Kiran Desai and many more have contributed largely to Indian literature. In the field of science, India made advancements in nuclear physics, astrophysics and so on. India attracts tourists due to its rich heritage and beautiful climate. India today is striving to become a global leader and a force to be reckoned with.

500 Words Essay On My Country

India is my motherland and I recognise myself as an Indian before anything else. India is also known as ‘Bharat’ and ‘Hindustan’, it is the biggest democracy in the world. It is known for its vast diversity and rich culture. India is one of the world's oldest civilisations, dating back over 4000 years. India is home to many renowned artists, chivalrous warriors and leaders who have contributed largely to making India what it is today.

Political Scenario | 'Unity in diversity' is the best phrase to explain the vast diversity present in our country. People of various cultures, speaking different languages, reside in India. India is a sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic, republic with a parliamentary government. This means that a Council of Ministers headed by the Prime Minister advises the President, the constitutional head of the country. Indians elect their leaders and are free to do anything they desire but under the confines of the law.

Indian History | India's history is divided into ancient, medieval, and modern history. The ancient period began in prehistoric times and ended in the Gupta period. The Middle Ages began in the Post Gupta period and ended with the arrival of the Europeans. From 1858 to 1947, the British ruled India and were exploiting its rich culture and wealth, leading to extreme poverty among the Indians. Then started the Modern period, which was marked by the advent of new technologies, discoveries and ideas.

India's Beauty | India is a country with beautiful landmarks and heritage. Each state of India has its history. Some of the famous landmarks of India are the Taj Mahal, the Jagannath Temple, the Gateway of India, the Red Fort, Qutub Minar, the golden temple, the Sanchi Stupa and so on. There are several tourist attractions in India which people visit during their holidays. Kashmir, Puri, Darjeeling, Kerala, Shillong, Goa, Andaman and Nicobar island are some of those.

Technological Advancements | India is not lagging behind anymore when it comes to technological advancements and science. India has immensely contributed to science and technology in the past few years. Technology has played an important role in boosting India's economy. The growth in this field ponders on the evolution of Indian scientific research. India has contributed on the grounds of astronomy, nuclear physics, astrophysics and many more. Indians take immense pride in their country for its rich diversity and aims to preserve India's heritage.

India During Pandemic

India has the second-largest population in the world and yet it managed the COVID-19 pandemic admirably with its vaccines Covaxin and CoverShield, which protected everyone from the deadly virus. India put a lot of effort towards developing the domestic market with all the Covid-19-related supplies during the pandemic.

India introduced the following protocols and procedures to effectively handle the pandemic situation—

India introduced early bidding procedures and quality assurance protocols.

Efficient supply chain management system was established based on computerised models that help predict cases and hospitalisations, including interprovincial oxygen and intensive care unit requirements based on epidemiological trends.

Expeditious and quality-assured move of COVID products to government e-procurement sites was established which enabled states to access these products at competitive prices without going through a bidding process.

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Paragraph On The Things I Love About My Country: Exploring The Best Of Our Nation

Paragraph On The Things I Love About My Country: Every country in the world has something unique and special to offer. While it is easy to get caught up in the daily grind and forget to appreciate what one’s own country has to offer, it is important to take a step back and reflect on the things that make it special. In this article, we will discuss ten things that make a certain country special, and why it is important to appreciate and cherish them.

Paragraph On The Things I Love About My Country

In this blog Paragraph On The Things I Love About My Country, we include Paragraph On The Things I Love About My Country, in 100, 200, 250, and 300 words. Also, cover Paragraph On The Things I Love About My Country belonging to classes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and up to the 12th class and also for kids, children, and students.

You can read more  Essay writing in 10 lines, and about sports, events, occasions, festivals, etc… Paragraph On The Things I Love About My Country is also available in different languages. In Paragraph On The Things I Love About My Country, the following features are explained in the given manner.

Rich Cultural Heritage

The country in question boasts of a rich cultural heritage, which is evident in its festivals, traditions, and art forms. From the colorful and vibrant Holi and Diwali festivals to the serene and spiritual Kumbh Mela, the country’s festivals are a testament to its diversity and cultural richness. The country is also home to various traditional art forms such as classical dance forms, folk music, and handicrafts.

Diverse Geography

The country’s geography is as diverse as its culture, with towering mountains, pristine beaches, dense forests, and expansive deserts. The snow-capped Himalayas, the picturesque beaches of Goa, and the lush green forests of the Western Ghats are just some examples of the natural beauty that the country has to offer.

Delicious Cuisine

The country’s cuisine is renowned for its rich and flavorful taste. From the spicy curries and biryanis to the sweet desserts and snacks, the country’s cuisine is a reflection of its diverse culture and geography. Popular dishes such as butter chicken, dosa, and samosas are enjoyed not only in the country but also across the world.

Warm And Hospitable People

The people of this country are known for their friendly and welcoming nature. Visitors to the country often leave with fond memories of the warm hospitality they received from the locals. Personal experiences of meeting strangers who went out of their way to help and guide them are not uncommon.

Vibrant Cities

The country’s cities are modern and bustling, with iconic landmarks and tourist attractions. From the majestic Taj Mahal to the bustling streets of Mumbai, the country’s cities offer a glimpse into its rich history and culture.

Pride In National Identity

The people of the country take pride in their national identity and symbols. The national flag, anthem, and emblem are revered and respected, and instill a sense of patriotism and pride in the people.

Opportunities For Growth

The country offers numerous opportunities for growth and development, be it in the field of education, technology, or entrepreneurship. With a rapidly growing economy and a young and dynamic population, the country has the potential to become a global leader in various sectors.

Sports And Entertainment

Sports and entertainment are an integral part of the country’s culture. Cricket, the country’s national sport, enjoys a cult-like following, and movies and music are enjoyed across the world. These forms of entertainment also provide a platform for the country’s diverse cultures to come together and showcase their talents.

Hope For The Future

The country has a bright and promising future, with ongoing initiatives and plans for development and progress. From the Digital India campaign to the Make in India initiative, the country is taking steps towards becoming a global superpower.

The country we have discussed in this article has a unique blend of cultural richness, natural beauty, warm hospitality, and a promising future. It is important to appreciate and cherish the things that make our own country special, as they are a reflection of who we are as a people. By taking pride in our national identity, supporting our local culture, and striving for growth and development, we can create a brighter future for ourselves and future generations.

Also Read: India Our Country

FAQ’s On Paragraph On The Things I Love About My Country

Question 1. What things I love about my country?

Answer: You can think about what you love about your country, such as its culture, cuisine, landscapes, people, traditions, festivals, history, or any other aspects that you find special and unique.

Question 2. Why do you love your country paragraph?

Answer: However, I can understand the importance of appreciating and cherishing one’s own country, as it is a reflection of our identity and heritage. Each country has its own unique cultural, geographical, and social aspects that make it special, and it is important to recognize and celebrate them. Pride in our country and its achievements can also motivate us to work towards its growth and development.

Question 3. What I love about my country in 150 words?

Answer: Many people love their country for its rich cultural heritage, which includes unique festivals, traditions, and art forms. The food is another aspect that people love, with a wide variety of delicious dishes and unique ingredients that reflect the country’s history and geography.

The diverse geography of the country is also a source of pride and love, with majestic mountains, stunning beaches, lush forests, and other natural wonders that are often unmatched anywhere else in the world.

Question 4. How do I write a paragraph about my country?

Answer: To write a paragraph about your country, start by introducing the country and providing some background information, such as its location, population, and language. Then, highlight some of the country’s unique and special aspects, such as its culture, cuisine, natural beauty, or people. You can also mention any challenges or issues facing the country, and discuss its potential for growth and development. Finally, conclude by summarizing your thoughts and feelings towards your country, and why it is important to appreciate and cherish it.

Question 5. What do you love about your country India?

Answer : However, I can provide some insights into what people might love about India. The country’s rich cultural heritage, diverse geography, flavorful cuisine, warm and hospitable people, and vibrant cities are just a few of the many aspects that make India special. Additionally, India has a strong sense of national pride and a growing economy, with numerous opportunities for growth and development.

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Watch our Memorial Day tribute to the military who sacrificed all to serve their country

Memorial Day is the unofficial start of summer. It's a time to gather with friends and family for a grill out, a picnic, or maybe a trip to the beach to soak up the sun. But while it may well feel like a day of celebration, what sometimes gets forgotten is that it was conceived as a day of commemoration for the brave military members who died serving their country.  

A University of Phoenix survey found that less than half of Americans polled knew the exact purpose of Memorial Day, while around a third were unsure of the difference between Memorial Day and Veterans Day.

To clarify, Veterans Day, which takes place in November, is a tribute to all those who served honorably in the military in wartime or peacetime, whether living or dead.

The confusion is compounded by Armed Forces Day, a military celebration held in May for those currently serving. However, while the reasons differ, the sentiment of each day is the same: all three are important opportunities to show gratitude.

So, when you chow down on that hot dog, barrel down that slip 'n slide, or whatever you do for fun this Memorial Day, spare a moment to acknowledge the people in uniform whose sacrifice made a difference.

On this Memorial Day, watch the video for a surprise reunion of battle buddies bonded by the loss of their leade r

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Guest Essay

It’s Time to End the Quiet Cruelty of Property Taxes

By Andrew W. Kahrl

Dr. Kahrl is a professor of history and African American studies at the University of Virginia and the author of “The Black Tax: 150 Years of Theft, Exploitation, and Dispossession in America.”

Property taxes, the lifeblood of local governments and school districts, are among the most powerful and stealthy engines of racism and wealth inequality our nation has ever produced. And while the Biden administration has offered many solutions for making the tax code fairer, it has yet to effectively tackle a problem that has resulted not only in the extraordinary overtaxation of Black and Latino homeowners but also in the worsening of disparities between wealthy and poorer communities. Fixing these problems requires nothing short of a fundamental re-examination of how taxes are distributed.

In theory, the property tax would seem to be an eminently fair one: The higher the value of your property, the more you pay. The problem with this system is that the tax is administered by local officials who enjoy a remarkable degree of autonomy and that tax rates are typically based on the collective wealth of a given community. This results in wealthy communities enjoying lower effective tax rates while generating more tax revenues; at the same time, poorer ones are forced to tax property at higher effective rates while generating less in return. As such, property assessments have been manipulated throughout our nation’s history to ensure that valuable property is taxed the least relative to its worth and that the wealthiest places will always have more resources than poorer ones.

Black people have paid the heaviest cost. Since they began acquiring property after emancipation, African Americans have been overtaxed by local governments. By the early 1900s, an acre of Black-owned land was valued, for tax purposes, higher than an acre of white-owned land in most of Virginia’s counties, according to my calculations, despite being worth about half as much. And for all the taxes Black people paid, they got little to nothing in return. Where Black neighborhoods began, paved streets, sidewalks and water and sewer lines often ended. Black taxpayers helped to pay for the better-resourced schools white children attended. Even as white supremacists treated “colored” schools as another of the white man’s burdens, the truth was that throughout the Jim Crow era, Black taxpayers subsidized white education.

Freedom from these kleptocratic regimes drove millions of African Americans to move to Northern and Midwestern states in the Great Migration from 1915 to 1970, but they were unable to escape racist assessments, which encompassed both the undervaluation of their property for sales purposes and the overvaluation of their property for taxation purposes. During those years, the nation’s real estate industry made white-owned property in white neighborhoods worth more because it was white. Since local tax revenue was tied to local real estate markets, newly formed suburbs had a fiscal incentive to exclude Black people, and cities had even more reason to keep Black people confined to urban ghettos.

As the postwar metropolis became a patchwork of local governments, each with its own tax base, the fiscal rationale for segregation intensified. Cities were fiscally incentivized to cater to the interests of white homeowners and provide better services for white neighborhoods, especially as middle-class white people began streaming into the suburbs, taking their tax dollars with them.

One way to cater to wealthy and white homeowners’ interests is to intentionally conduct property assessments less often. The city of Boston did not conduct a citywide property reassessment between 1946 and 1977. Over that time, the values of properties in Black neighborhoods increased slowly when compared with the values in white neighborhoods or even fell, which led to property owners’ paying relatively more in taxes than their homes were worth. At the same time, owners of properties in white neighborhoods got an increasingly good tax deal as their neighborhoods increased in value.

As was the case in other American cities, Boston’s decision most likely derived from the fear that any updates would hasten the exodus of white homeowners and businesses to the suburbs. By the 1960s, assessments on residential properties in Boston’s poor neighborhoods were up to one and a half times as great as their actual values, while assessments in the city’s more affluent neighborhoods were, on average, 40 percent of market value.

Jersey City, N.J., did not conduct a citywide real estate reassessment between 1988 and 2018 as part of a larger strategy for promoting high-end real estate development. During that time, real estate prices along the city’s waterfront soared but their owners’ tax bills remained relatively steady. By 2015, a home in one of the city’s Black and Latino neighborhoods worth $175,000 received the same tax bill as a home in the city’s downtown worth $530,000.

These are hardly exceptions. Numerous studies conducted during those years found that assessments in predominantly Black neighborhoods of U.S. cities were grossly higher relative to value than those in white areas.

These problems persist. A recent report by the University of Chicago’s Harris School of Public Policy found that property assessments were regressive (meaning lower-valued properties were assessed higher relative to value than higher-valued ones) in 97.7 percent of U.S. counties. Black-owned homes and properties in Black neighborhoods continue to be devalued on the open market, making this regressive tax, in effect, a racist tax.

The overtaxation of Black homes and neighborhoods is also a symptom of a much larger problem in America’s federated fiscal structure. By design, this system produces winners and losers: localities with ample resources to provide the goods and services that we as a nation have entrusted to local governments and others that struggle to keep the lights on, the streets paved, the schools open and drinking water safe . Worse yet, it compels any fiscally disadvantaged locality seeking to improve its fortunes to do so by showering businesses and corporations with tax breaks and subsidies while cutting services and shifting tax burdens onto the poor and disadvantaged. A local tax on local real estate places Black people and cities with large Black populations at a permanent disadvantage. More than that, it gives middle-class white people strong incentives to preserve their relative advantages, fueling the zero-sum politics that keep Americans divided, accelerates the upward redistribution of wealth and impoverishes us all.

There are technical solutions. One, which requires local governments to adopt more accurate assessment models and regularly update assessment rolls, can help make property taxes fairer. But none of the proposed reforms being discussed can be applied nationally because local tax policies are the prerogative of the states and, often, local governments themselves. Given the variety and complexity of state and local property tax laws and procedures and how much local governments continue to rely on tax reductions and tax shifting to attract and retain certain people and businesses, we cannot expect them to fix these problems on their own.

The best way to make local property taxes fairer and more equitable is to make them less important. The federal government can do this by reinvesting in our cities, counties and school districts through a federal fiscal equity program, like those found in other advanced federated nations. Canada, Germany and Australia, among others, direct federal funds to lower units of government with lower capacities to raise revenue.

And what better way to pay for the program than to tap our wealthiest, who have benefited from our unjust taxation scheme for so long? President Biden is calling for a 25 percent tax on the incomes and annual increases in the values of the holdings of people claiming more than $100 million in assets, but we could accomplish far more by enacting a wealth tax on the 1 percent. Even a modest 4 percent wealth tax on people whose total assets exceed $50 million could generate upward of $400 billion in additional annual revenue, which should be more than enough to ensure that the needs of every city, county and public school system in America are met. By ensuring that localities have the resources they need, we can counteract the unequal outcomes and rank injustices that our current system generates.

Andrew W. Kahrl is a professor of history and African American studies at the University of Virginia and the author of “ The Black Tax : 150 Years of Theft, Exploitation, and Dispossession in America.”

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An ancient manuscript up for sale gives a glimpse into the history of early Christianity

This codex is a mid-fourth century book from egypt containing a combination of biblical and other early christian texts..

(Julien De Rosa | AFP via Getty Images) The Crosby-Schoyen Codex at Christie’s auction house in Paris. The manuscript goes up for auction in London on June 11, 2024.

An important piece of early Christian history, the Crosby-Schøyen Codex, is up for auction at Christie’s in London. This codex is a mid-fourth century book from Egypt containing a combination of biblical and other early Christian texts.

The Crosby-Schøyen Codex was discovered alongside more than 20 other codices near Dishna, Egypt, in 1952. These manuscripts are collectively known as “the Dishna Papers” or “the Bodmer Papyri,” after the Swiss collector Martin Bodmer.

Though often overshadowed by other 20th century discoveries, this trove of ancient manuscripts represents one of the most significant finds for understanding the history of early Christianity. As an expert on early Christian reading practices , I consider the Dishna Papers an invaluable witness to the formation of the Christian Bible. This ancient library shows how, before the consolidation of the Bible, early Christians read canonical and non-canonical scriptures — as well as pagan classics — side by side.

An overshadowed discovery

The middle decades of the 20th century were exciting years for scholars of early Christianity.

In 1945, a collection of 13 ancient codices was discovered near Nag Hammadi, Egypt. These contained dozens of otherwise unknown works, mostly associated with minority and marginalized forms of early Christianity. With titles like “The Gospel of Thomas” and “The Secret Revelation of John,” this cache of non-canonical scriptures captured the public’s imagination and inspired a bestseller .

The very next year, Bedouin shepherds discovered ancient Hebrew scrolls hidden in a cave at Qumran on the northwestern shore of the Dead Sea.

The “ Dead Sea Scrolls ” found in this and a dozen subsequently discovered caves constituted a massive library of Jewish texts, including biblical works and hitherto unknown texts with remarkable parallels to the writings of the New Testament. This find was celebrated in news stories , documentaries and other publications as among the greatest discoveries of the 20th century.

At the very same time, the Dishna Papers were discovered, smuggled out of Egypt and sold to European collectors with considerably less fanfare. No headline hailed the discovery of the Dishna Papers. Instead, pieces of this collection were sold to the highest bidders, scattering the ancient library across the globe .

The Dishna Papers

Though less exotic than Nag Hammadi or Qumran, the contents of the Crosby-Schøyen Codex and the 20-some additional codices discovered near Dishna have proved every bit as important for our understanding of early Christianity.

Two manuscripts of the canonical gospels, Luke and John, belonging to this ancient library predate almost every other surviving copy of these gospels. Scholars used these new manuscripts to revise the text of the New Testament .

For instance, the vast majority of manuscripts of the Gospel of John describe Jesus as “the only-begotten Son” (1:18). But the early manuscripts discovered at Dishna read “the only-begotten God.” Here and elsewhere, English translations of the Bible were changed to reflect the contents of the Dishna Papers.

But the library discovered near Dishna did not consist entirely of texts that ended up in the Christian Bible. Scriptures that were not included in the Christian canon, like Paul’s “ Third Letter to the Corinthians ” and “ The Shepherd of Hermas ,” were also found among the Dishna Papers.

One codex from Dishna contains the “ Acts of Paul ,” an extra-Biblical account of Paul’s travels and martyrdom. Another contains the “ Infancy Gospel of James ,” a non-canonical story about the life of Mary, Jesus’ mother. The discoveries at Dishna provide evidence that these writings, though unfamiliar to modern readers of the Bible, spent centuries on the periphery of Christian scripture.

The Dishna Papers included a few additional literary texts. One codex in this mostly Christian library contains several comedies by the Hellenistic playwright Menander. Another codex binds together a chapter of Thucydides’ “History of the Peloponnesian War” with a Greek version of the biblical Book of Daniel.

Evidently, the owner of this Christian library had no aversion to the arts and sciences of pre-Christian Hellenism. In this library, pagan classics and Christian scripture stood side by side.

But whose library was this?

The Crosby-Schøyen Codex, which is now up for sale, actually supplies several important clues to the origin of the Dishna Papers with which it was found.

Thanks to recent radiocarbon dating of this codex and the contents of a closely related manuscript , the Crosby-Schøyen Codex can be dated with some measure of confidence to the middle of the fourth century — roughly 325 to 350 C.E.

The Crosby-Schøyen Codex itself contains five texts in Sahidic Coptic, a dialect of the ancient Egyptian language. Three texts are Biblical: Jonah, Second Maccabees 5:27-7:41, and 1 Peter. The rest of the codex contains part of a well-known Easter homily and a brief otherwise unknown exhortation.

These texts, argue scholars Albert Pietersma and Susan Comstock, may have been collected into a single codex for use as an Easter lectionary . A lectionary is a collection of readings used in Christian worship services. Such lectionaries were used in Pachomian monasteries, like the one located only a few miles west of Dishna.

This monastery was established in the mid-330s by Pachomius, the reputed founder of communal monasticism . His Pachomian Rule , by which the monks would have ordered their communal life, makes frequent reference to the public and private use of books. Pachomius’ monasteries even taught illiterate monks to read.

It seems likely that this eclectic library of canonical and non-canonical scriptures, early Christian writings and pagan classics belonged to these book-loving monks in central Egypt. One of the Pachomian rules allowed monks to borrow books from the monastic library for up to one week.

Today, for a few million dollars , one such book can be yours forever. On June 11, 2024, the Crosby-Schøyen Codex will go to the highest bidder.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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Players take on a revamped colonial country club this week on the pga tour.

An annual stop on the PGA Tour calendar has received a makeover since players last saw it. Colonial Country Club will once again play host to the 2024 Charles Schwab Challenge and debut its newly renovated layout for players to tackle. Chief among the competitors this week in Fort Worth, Texas, is the man who lives right down the street, Scottie Scheffler.

The world No. 1 returns to Colonial following a tumultuous week in Louisville that ultimately resulted in another top-10 finish. While Scheffler was unable to continue his quest for the calendar grand slam, he did continue his stretch of top-10 finishes, which now stands at nine straight.

During this run, the Texan has collected four trophies and will look to make it five at a golf course that has treated him kindly in the past with a third-place finish a year ago and a playoff loss to Sam Burns in 2022. Another player who has fond memories of Colonial is Scheffler's fellow Texas Longhorn, Jordan Spieth.

A winner at this golf course nearly a decade ago, Spieth has made it a habit at contending at this place with eight top-10 finishes to his name. While his form is in question, Spieth's love for the property is not. Both Scheffler and Spieth are joined in the field by a number of their U.S. Ryder Cup teammates, including Collin Morikawa, Max Homa and Brian Harman.

Tony Finau, Min Woo Lee, Tom Kim, Si Woo Kim and Min Woo Lee round out a strong crop of players teeing it up in this full-field event. With the summer months fast approaching, the Charles Schwab Challenge presents a great opportunity for players to launch into the meat of the PGA Tour season with a hot start in Texas.

All times Eastern; streaming start times approximated    

Round 3 - Saturday

Round starts:  8 a.m.

PGA Tour Live:  8 a.m. -  6 p.m. --  PGA Tour Live

Live TV coverage:  1-3 p.m. on Golf Channel,  fubo  (Try for free) Live streaming:  1-3 p.m. on Peacock

Live TV coverage:  3-6 p.m. on CBS Live simulcast:  3-6 p.m. on  CBSSports.com  and the  CBS Sports App

Radio:  1-6 p.m. --  PGA Tour Radio  

Round 4 - Sunday

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