[Student’s Last Name]1

American Patriot:
Soldier, Citizen, Voter, Tax Payer

“Support Our Troops!” Most patriotic Americans plaster these words over everything to show
their support for the soldiers that are fighting for their freedom in far away lands. These citizens
display small yellow ribbons on the backs of their cars and fly flags that call for Americans to
“Support Our Troops.” This open display of support for the sons and daughters who are at war
constitutes patriotism, but this does not mean that these Americans must support the
government's decision to go to war. As American patriots, citizens must realize that they have a
constitutional duty to question the decisions that their government makes. The questioning of
one's government, voting, and respecting the rights of others are the key factors to upholding the
responsibilities of our constitutional republic; blindly following the media and the politically
correct way will lead to communism or dictatorship.
If you look at American history, you will see that the United States government is not
perfect. The removal of Native Americans from their lands by the Indian Removal Act of 1830
violated these citizens' political, legal, and human rights. In 1920, the 19th Amendment was
finally passed which provided men and women with equal voting rights, which were denied to
women citizens for nearly 150 years. President Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that
prohibited discrimination of any kind based on race, color, religion, or national origin. These are
a few examples where true patriots joined and spoke out against what the United States was
doing and brought about change. Without the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that prohibited
discrimination, Americans would never have been able to see the first African-American
President be elected to office and segregation, to some extent, may have lasted far longer than it
did. Suffragists from the late seventeenth century through 1920 gave women political equality,
which originally was denied to them.
The above illustrations are examples of true patriotism. The American government
initially was wrong in its political decisions, and the citizens who opposed those decisions were
right. Had these citizens not openly voiced their disapproval of their government's political
decisions, our history would not reflect the constitutional principles it so publicly espouses. For a
constitutional republic to function properly, it is the citizens’ duty to keep informed of the
decisions being made and openly express their approval and disapproval. Proclamations by the
United States government that government protestors are not patriotic are constitutionally wrong.
By the citizens’ very act of thinking independently and disagreeing with the government, they
are truly demonstrating the definition of an American patriot.
Citizens who agree with the actions of the government are also considered patriots. This
is based on how they analyze the government's decisions and base their agreement not on blind
obedience but on thought. For example, in 2003, patriotic proponents of the war in Iraq based
their support on the need to eliminate the terrorist leader Saddam Hussein and not on simply
accepting that the war was correct because the president and media said it was. These patriotic
supporters have analyzed why American troops are fighting in Iraq and have decided that the
government made the correct decision to go to war. This decision was based on reasoned thought
and analysis; the citizen did not base it on blind obedience.
As an American citizen, the mere questioning of the government is one part of the
definition of a patriot; voting is a second part of taking the analysis of the government and acting
on it. Simply put, a true patriot votes. Voting for the American patriot, however, is not simply
 [Student’s Last Name]2

casting ballots; it is researching and understanding the issues and then casting ballots. Simply to
vote for democrats or republicans based on family history or because the voter has always voted
for that party is not patriotic; it is blind obedience. Voting requires knowledge of the candidates
and their views, knowledge of the issues being discussed, and an understanding of your own
views on the issue. For example, in 2009, John McCain was predicted to win the presidential
election over rival Barrack Obama due to several factors including his race and his experience as
a state senator. When the election was over, however, Obama had won by a majority vote. What
the media did not realize was that the United States was full of patriotic citizens who had never
voted before but who did vote in this election because of their belief in the candidate. They did
not simply follow trends from the past.
The process of voting is a patriotic act, but some go beyond the call of duty and actively
participate in the elections by campaigning for their preferred candidate or issues. Active
involvement creates a stronger base for these candidates. Based on what they believe is good for
their country, American patriots are people who work hard to better their country. Many young
men and women joined the United States military after the attacks on September 11, 2001, in
order to defend our way of life. Patriots are voters, workers, and soldiers!
Another important characteristic is that patriots demonstrate and respect the rights of
others by contributing to the equal rights of all Americans. One action that patriots perform is
willingly paying taxes. These taxes ensure that American citizens would not go uneducated,
hungry, and sick in a world without police protection, good roads, schools, and government-
funded health care for those citizens who cannot afford it. Patriots realize that this tax money is
necessary to meet the needs of all its citizens. Actively contributing by paying taxes shows
respect for the government and for its citizens.
A soldier in uniform proudly carrying the American flag and a rifle has always been the
traditional picture depicting an American patriot. This picture falls seriously short of a complete
picture of an American patriot. The complete picture would show millions of people of all races
and heritages—some carrying protest signs, some handing out campaign literature, and everyone
carrying a ballot.