Dear Editor,
Is patriotism blind allegiance to a person, a cause or a principle? No, but it doesn't make one any less patriotic, either. Patriotism isn't always determined by one's allegiance to any one ideal.
Patriotism, the kind that columnist Brian Cooney finds offensive, is the ability to support our country's goal while not agreeing with all the methodology used to achieve the result. Patriotism is the ability to espouse an opposing view without diminishing the democratic principles of the country.
What makes Mr. Cooney and his ilk so offensive are the methods used to achieve their goal. Their attacks on the office of the president and George W. Bush is not a reasoned disagreement of principle - it is a denigration of the country and the ideals that have made it great. Although our country is not perfect, everyone has the opportunity to pursue perfection as it is defined by his or her own goals and ideals, not those defined by a liberal/socialist government that stymies personal achievement and fosters dependence on a federal bureaucracy that will decide for us the definition of torture, of fairness, of equity and of course, patriotism.
