Are you patriotic? What does being patriotic mean to you?

Patriotism. The grand tradition of waving flags, shouting slogans, and passionately declaring that our land is the best—while completely ignoring the people actually living in it. Because, apparently, patriotism is about loving an idea, not the actual humans struggling within the borders.

People proudly scream, “I love my country!” but when it’s time to help a hungry neighbor or stand up for fairness, they suddenly have other priorities—like arguing on the internet or hoarding tax breaks. They will fight to defend a piece of cloth flapping in the wind but won’t fight for the single mother struggling to buy groceries. They will cry about national pride but won’t shed a tear for the homeless veteran on the street.

And let’s not forget the best part—how patriotism is often just a tool to divide people. Separated by religion, beliefs, anger, and hatred, folks spend more time attacking each other than actually fixing anything. It’s like watching a family argue over who loves Grandma the most while she sits in the corner, completely ignored, wondering why nobody brought her dinner.

But real patriotism? It’s not in the loud speeches or chest-thumping declarations. It’s in the quiet acts of kindness, the tough fights for justice, and the willingness to actually make life better for people instead of just talking about how great the country used to be. Because if your version of patriotism doesn’t include helping your own people, then congratulations—you’re not a patriot, you’re just a really passionate fan of geography.