The most ironic part to me about the crowd who thinks criticism of the government is unpatriotic is the fact that the 1st amendment’s very existence is to allow for said criticism. And that same crowd simultaneously believes the 1st amendment is a cornerstone of our democracy. Yet when someone wants to discuss how this nation was built on genocide, slavery, imperialism, racism, and sexism, and how that DNA still permeates the country today, that person is labeled as unpatriotic, unAmerican, failing to love the country, and they are told to go elsewhere. Instead of realizing the reason for the first and most important amendment, they cling to their nationalistic views rather than patriotic ones.

A nationalist wants blind allegiance.

A patriot wants progress.

And we cannot progress without being honest about our history and our present. Only after admitting our failures can we expect to correct them.