Racism isn't Patriotic.

The founders created the United States as an ideological nation-state. What that means is that the American people created a government held together by a set of shared ideals. Thus, the ideals themselves define what it means to be an American. They also define what it means to be patriotic. If you believe in the ideals, you are patriotic. If you don't believe in those ideals, you are not patriotic.

The first of these ideals is that all men are created equal. If you are protesting against American ideals, you are protesting against the idea that all men are created equal. The first amendment protects freedom of speech. The proper protest should be that we are not living up to the ideals of our founding. The protesters are the ones who should be waving the flags. It is the defenders of racism who defile our founding ideals and national purpose.

But how do I react to the people who protest now, in whatever form their protest takes?

If I take a moment to try to live up to the calling of my faith, I'd greet them as I would greet any other human being: with kindness, charity, liberality of spirit, understanding, and love. One of the ideas I've been thinking about for the past year or so is "lamentation." A little over a year ago in a discussion with some friends, we talked about Christ on the cross. I wondered aloud, perhaps stupidly, how Christ could be without sin since he called out to God on the cross and asked why God had forsaken him. As I asked the question I knew my answer. Christ was without sin. The reason Christ cried out to God on the cross was to show us that crying out to God when you are in pain is no sin. Of course I often let my emotions get the best of me. I can only speak for myself in this regard, but my hope is that when I see someone crying out, that my first reaction isn't to see sin. Rather, my first reaction should be to see someone who is hurting and muster up as much grace and humility as possible before wading into the public policy arena. Demonstrating understanding doesn't imply an affirmation of the action in question.

But my larger point that I would make once passions have cooled, is that when you defend the political equality of all men or the right to speak out on political matters you are engaged in a patriotic act. Our flag is a symbol of our national ideals. When you protest against our national symbols, you are actually protesting against equality and free speech--which is certainly not the intent of the protesters.

One final distinction that may be obvious (but I'll mention it anyway) is the difference between nationalism and patriotism. I am a patriot but I am no nationalist. I don't love America because I happen to have been born here or because of physical dimensions of the land, or who happens to be a citizen at any given time. Saying you love America is supposed to be nothing more than the shorthand way of saying all people are created equal, have individual rights, are free, and are good enough to govern themselves. I wish more people remembered that. It is the great truth of our founding.