OPINION: True patriots never use love of country as a reason to divide

For too long, a small, vocal group of extremists have defined what it means to be a patriot.

If we don’t vote with them, pray with them, or if we merely disagree with them, they tell us that we hate America, hate religion, hate God, hate democracy, hate our troops and hate freedom.

But the reality is that true American patriots don’t hate. True Patriots welcome differences of opinion, respect the right to worship or not, understand how democracy works, serve proudly in our military no matter who they love, and hold freedom for ourselves and all people as our most cherished American value.

That is why it’s time, as good citizens, people of faith and true patriots of a great democracy, to take our patriotism back and define for ourselves what it means to truly love America.

In America, faith is defined by a deeply personal choice — to worship or not. Not only is this choice protected by our laws, but the separation of church and state is also central to our character as a nation.

Those who would tell us that in order to be a good American we must also be a “good Christian” misconstrue our country’s mission to be a place in the world where all are safe to believe, or not, in their own individual ways.

It’s true that many of America’s founders were Christian, and yet the evidence is clear that they intended America to be a nation that honors and respects all faiths.

This core American value enshrined in our Bill of Rights is protected by its very first amendment. This is not an accident. So, if you are Person of Faith, please fly the flag of our very first freedom to make it clear that America is a nation that respects and embraces all belief systems equally.

Good citizenship is about more than allegiance, it's about responsibility. Courageous and outspoken, a good citizen is duty-bound to defend the values and principles that make America truly great: democracy, equality, freedom, fairness, inclusivity, and yes, diversity. That's why a Good Citizen welcomes all.

A good citizen defends their neighbor's rights as they would their own, knowing that injustice anywhere is injustice everywhere. A good citizen advocates for common good and works tirelessly to build a country that works for everyone.

At Love America, we believe that as good citizens each of us has a sacred assignment to not only protect our Constitution and keep its supporting institutions strong, but also to ensure that a legacy of freedom is guaranteed for generations of Americans to come.

True patriots are the backbone of American democracy. Brave, steadfast and faithful to the idea that freedom is not negotiable. A true patriot dedicates their life to ensuring that every citizen is free and equal under the law. A true patriot believes that love of country cannot be owned, only shared.

A true patriot never brandishes their love of country as a weapon in order to divide, but always and only as a banner to unite.

That's why we encourage all good citizens, people of faith and true patriots to help us reclaim our patriotism so that it belongs to all Americans, not just to those loudest voices, biggest churches or those that fly the biggest flag.

Dave Adams of West Linn, along with Adam Klugman and Carol Yamada are co-creators of https://loveamerica.com/ .