What is a Patriot and what does it mean to you?

If instead I was asked what made this country great I would say those who for centuries have fought for freedom of expression, freedom from slavery, freedom from discrimination, freedom from far right fascism, and freedom from injustice.
The enemy can sometimes come from outside our borders but can also be within. So here’s to the brave parliamentarians and common people who stood up and fought for what they believed in so that we can now all enjoy the freedoms they didn’t have.

Cossy

Dickens

Well I'm at a loss to know exactly what Patriotism demands.

Because, on social media...

I was told I was "unpatriotic" because I voted Remain - and when I 'empathised' with a Leave voter, I was actually called a "traitor".

So I don't really know what Patriotism is - I'm just proud of the good things that my country of birth has done.

Will that do?

Yes!

Thanks Cossy!

I am proud of the achievements of my country - and never more so when living in Norway and chatting to my GP, who expounded royally on our NHS (on which they modelled their health service) - and told me about the brilliant, cutting-edge, medicine / surgery he learned about when visiting the UK to attend conferences, etc.

... and he also said how welcoming, friendly and 'open' he found the British people...

My OH is Swedish by birth, but came here in the 70s and then became a British Citizen after being naturalised - because he's an Anglophile. He is fascinated by our engineering triumphs from the Industrial Revolution onwards.

As am I.

So lots to be proud of.

Patriotism obviously means different things to different people.

What is a patriot? Surely, somebody who loves the country they are born in and live in. They are loyal to their country. The dictionary says they would be willing to fight for their country. Whether you remain or leave is not really relevant to the word. Nor is Yorkshire puddings however tasty they are.

Patriotic - showing love for your country and being proud of it. English dictionary. Simple really.

I love the UK.

I am proud when I see multiple Union flags flying in London for State Occasions. (The more the flag is flown, the less association with those who choose to use it for their political agenda)

I respect our Royal Family, our democracy, our many freedoms.

The varied landscape from wild seas, farmland, architecture, our history and museums, hills and forests as well as tourist areas.

So I can only assume that I must be patriotic 🤷‍♀️

Someone who appreciates the good things in their country, and is proud to uphold the values, I suppose.

I've not ever really considered it before.

AGAA4

Patriotic - showing love for your country and being proud of it. English dictionary. Simple really.

I love my country and am proud of it but I also regret leaving the EU.. I also love being European

I'm with you pascal. I'm proud of many things I think of as British. However, many of the things that are important to me, such justice for all, and fair play, are not exclusive to Britain.
I am also a citizen of Europe, and, indeed, the world, surely?
I voted Remain. If some people see this as traitorous, that's up to them.

mum2three

I would say that a patriot is someone who has a strong sense of belonging to their country and is concerned about what happens there. This is why I would class all those who voted to remain in the EU to be non-patriots. Your first duty is to your country.
The popularity of Reform is a sign of the strength of feeling which still exists in spite of those who see patriotism as a mental health problem.

This post completely illustrates my definition of a patriot given further up

Anyone who uses the word patriot is a rightwinger who thinks anyone with a loyalty to their country who does not share their views is a woke commie

or in this case - a remainer- which to some is an insult so vile it can only be used to describe the worst miscreants in society!

GrannyGravy13

I love the UK.

I am proud when I see multiple Union flags flying in London for State Occasions. (The more the flag is flown, the less association with those who choose to use it for their political agenda)

I respect our Royal Family, our democracy, our many freedoms.

The varied landscape from wild seas, farmland, architecture, our history and museums, hills and forests as well as tourist areas.

So I can only assume that I must be patriotic 🤷‍♀️

👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

“ Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel” is a very old quotation

Those who are reduced to using Patriotism as a justification for their opinions probably fit that description.

I’m proud that, in a world that politically seems to be veering towards the far right, we have elected a centre left government.

MayBee70

I’m proud that, in a world that politically seems to be veering towards the far right, we have elected a centre left government.

👍👍👏👏👏👏👏

I think two of the things I am most proud of in this country is our freedom of expression and our freedom to vote in a democracy. So an earlier post in which it was stated that those who voted Remain were non-patriotic is in fact illustrating the opposite to this, belonging more to a totalitarian state where those who don't vote as they should deserve to be denigrated and made to feel as if they don't belong.

GrannyGravy13

I love the UK.

I am proud when I see multiple Union flags flying in London for State Occasions. (The more the flag is flown, the less association with those who choose to use it for their political agenda)

I respect our Royal Family, our democracy, our many freedoms.

The varied landscape from wild seas, farmland, architecture, our history and museums, hills and forests as well as tourist areas.

So I can only assume that I must be patriotic 🤷‍♀️

Here here 👏👏👏👏.
This will probably sound mawkish to some but, I well up a bit every time I come into Dover.

Thanks for this thread Cossy, it has certainly made it clear to me why I feel dubious about using the word 'patriot'.

Babs03

Thanks for this thread Cossy, it has certainly made it clear to me why I feel dubious about using the word 'patriot'.

Thanks Babs

It’s really not an expression I would use but I just wondered what people here actually took it to mean

Dickens

Well I'm at a loss to know exactly what Patriotism demands.

Because, on social media...

I was told I was "unpatriotic" because I voted Remain - and when I 'empathised' with a Leave voter, I was actually called a "traitor".

So I don't really know what Patriotism is - I'm just proud of the good things that my country of birth has done.

Will that do?

Yes, it will do for me too.

I have a feeling that 'patriotism' is something which implies pride in one's country, without feeling that everything it does is necessarily right, and 'patriot' sounds to me a bit more right-wing... Anyone else feel that there is a difference, however slight?

Crossed posts, Cossy!

Wheniwasyourage

Crossed posts, Cossy!

"I have a feeling that 'patriotism' is something which implies pride in one's country, without feeling that everything it does is necessarily right, and 'patriot' sounds to me a bit more right-wing... Anyone else feel that there is a difference, however slight?"

I do think that the word patriot has been adopted by the far right and seems to denote a feeling that goes beyond pride to 'supremacy', implying that patriots don't just fight to defend their own country against attack but will attack those within their own country whom they feel don't belong, whether they are a danger to said country or not.
Patriotism being from the same word strikes me as similar so must beg to differ on that one.

petra I had a tear in my eye when I saw the white cliffs on our way back to Southampton 😿

woodenspoon

What is a patriot? Surely, somebody who loves the country they are born in and live in. They are loyal to their country. The dictionary says they would be willing to fight for their country. Whether you remain or leave is not really relevant to the word. Nor is Yorkshire puddings however tasty they are.

I had a feeling things on this thread might get a bit fractious so threw in the Yorkshire Puddings for a joke.

Patriot? Someone who knows how to laugh about how ridiculous their fellow countrymen can be.

Good knows we need our sense of humour these days!

I love and am loyal to my country, though not happy with people that abuse it.

I think there is now a deep semantic difference in meaning between patriotism and being patriotic, on one side and describing yourself or someone as a patriot.

These days describing yourself or someone else as a Patriot immediately brings to mind the extreme rightwing preppers of the USA. Living in a remote area, carrying a rifle, and supporting Donald Trump

Whereas to describe yourself or someone as patriotic or to speak abstractly of patriotism means a respect for the law of the democracy you live in and being proud to be able to disagree with it, without being considered a traitor.