Partly Cloudy Patriot

    In this article, the thing that most struck me was the thought that America has phases of extreme patriotism, and phases where the term patriot is loathed.  I'm only 20, but I remember 9/11.  I was home schooled for a few years, so I was at home working on school-work when a family friend called and told us to flip our TV on.  I remember watching the footage of the twin towers falling, and not really comprehending what was going on.  I remember sitting on my mom's bed while my mom stared at the television and cried.  She was born on Staten Island, and I think she took the attack personally.  I most vividly remember the extreme patriotism that exploded in the aftermath of 9/11.  We didn't even own a flag or pole pre-9/11, and finding a flag afterwards was no easy task.  Everywhere I looked, everything was decked out in red, white, and blue.  I had never felt such strong patriotism.  I remember crying at a local song and dance show that was traditionally part of my city's summer festival when they wheeled veterans out onto the stage while singers belted "I'm Proud to be an American".  I felt as though I truly understood the lyrics for the first time. 
     A decade has come and gone now, and with it a lot of questions have been asked about the honor of this nation.  We're still at war, and we're in an incredible amount of debt.  To me, this decade feels a little like the way I imagine the post-Vietnam war 70s must have felt like.  The 99% movement is rampant, and patriotism just isn't cool anymore.  We feel cheated and disillusioned.  I'm sure though, that it's just part of the cycle.  Patriotism will inevitably come back in style, and then make its exit once again.  This is the United States of America.  As Americans, we have a right to express ourselves however we please, and patriotism is simply a part of how we express our freedom of speech.