“Black people have asserted their inextricable contributions to the history of this country while simultaneously protesting the racism embedded in the American nation-state since its inception.” —Robyn Spencer
Introduction
At first glance, this notion appears to be easy to straightforward and embedded like citizenship. It is a part of belonging to a specific nation and living in a particular state. Patriotism means loving the country and being loyal to it, regardless of the circumstances. The quote in the epigraph by Spencer points out an essential inconsistency in the modern view of patriotism through the example of black Americans. Many of them, including Hendrix and, more recently, Kaepernick, protested against the norms present in the American social and political decisions that led to wars. Despite their disagreement, they remained loyal to their homeland, contradicting the commonly accepted definition of patriotism. Although David Archard defines patriotism as “love of or loyalty to one’s Patria,” this definition fails to address the strive for social change that can be qualified as treason under Archard’s view (e1).
Archard’s Definition of Patriotism
Contemporary political science offers several views and concepts to describe patriotism and its core characteristics. In his article titled “The Ethics of Patriotism,” Archard argues that this notion means “loyalty to one’s country” (1). This simple definition can be interpreted as an unquestionable allegiance to one’s homeland. The consequences of this are adherence to all the laws, social norms, and political decisions that the government makes. For example, as Spencer describes, a renowned musician Jimi Hendrix protested against the United State’s engagement in the Vietnam War. Hendrix went against the decision of the politicians because he had a different social and political opinion, which can be interpreted as disloyalty. As a result, under Archard’s definition, Hendrix appears not to be the patriot of the United States.
Some other concepts and notions can be used to describe loyalty and alliance based on a particular principle. A distinction should be made between it and nationalism since the latter refers to the loyalty and support of people of common descent (Archard e1). However, one cannot use nationalism to describe Hendrix’s protest against the war, since he did not advocate for a particular group of people of the same descent. Although Archard cites political theory scholars, including Gomberg and Kleinig, using their words and definitions, all of them see patriotism as a form of alliance and acceptance of the norms prevailing in the state (1). In this case, perhaps, it is better to use Archard’s definition of patriotism as a standard and create a new theoretical framework for the type of behavior and attitude towards one’s state, as demonstrated by Hedrix and Kaepernick.
While it may be useful for scholars to consider the different variations of patriotism and work on developing new conceptual frameworks, this notion has become very important for American citizens. Arguably, patriotism, together with democracy, is the core principle and leading associations one may have when thinking about the United States. Moreover, Hendrix cannot be considered a traitor since he fought in the Vietnam War but was injured and had to return home (Spencer). Only after his return, he begin advocating for the withdrawal of American forces from Vietnam. One notable example is Hedrix’s performance, where he “played a stirring rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” at Woodstock as part of a musical melody that incorporated sounds of war and taps, the bugle call played at military funerals” (Spencer). The main idea of this performance was to demonstrate that war brings horror and to advocate against it, which would save the lives and health of many American citizens. It is difficult to classify this concern for the state and the well-being of its citizens as something other than patriotism.
Contributions of Black Americans
Measuring patriotism and accounting for one’s contribution to the state’s development through patriotism is impossible or difficult to do. However, it is possible to make a distinction between a patriot and a traitor, and Archard’s definition implies that individuals who show any sign of disloyalty can be categorized as unpatriotic (1). This definition fails to address the lengthy history of the civil rights movement and the protests of black Americas against discrimination and racism. These protests go against the established systems, however, these black Americans do not claim not to be the patriots of their state, nor do they pursue the interests of other countries. Their fight is centered on ensuring that their homeland is a safe place with equal opportunity for all. This is an example of loyalty and patriotism of these people, despite the discrimination they face.
The fight of the black Americans against unfairness helped establish some of the core social and political principles of this state. As Nicole Hannah-Jones states – “without the idealistic, strenuous and patriotic efforts of black Americans, our democracy today would most likely look very different” (“Episode 1: The Fight for a True Democracy”). Democracy, however, is one of the core principles that this county and its political system are built upon. Therefore, this protest against the existing system, although it may be viewed by some people as disloyalty, helps the development of the social and moral values of the state.
There are many ways of defining the term patriotism, as shown by the examples of Hedrix and Hannah-Jones’s commentary on this issue. For some, it is the feeling of love or devotion towards their homeland. For others, perfect obedience and loyalty to the state, regardless of the issues that may exist within its political or social systems, encompasses the true definition of patriotism (Archard 2). However, it is unclear what criteria are used to define the notion of patriotism and what is the basis for these factors. The traditional definitions used by scholars do not allow distinguishing a true patriot from a traitor because they fail to address the element of protestors and their contribution to the development of the American state as it is today. Archard’s definition does not elaborate on this contemporary issue, which implies that further discussion into the matter is necessary.
The issue of balancing the love for one’s country and the need to address existing problems is the primary concern with the traditional definition of patriotism. In his article, Spenser argues that in the United States, true patriotism often resembles a protest. With Hendrix and Kaepernick being notable examples of such actions, with the latter protesting silently during the national anthem as a way to fight racism (Spencer). Because Kaepernick’s protest was directed at the national anthem, some interested it as a lack of patriotism. According to Spencer, “these displays have been criticized as anti-American, misinterpreted as signs of disrespect toward the country and its values.” Hence, a need to clearly define the notion of patriotism arises. Moreover, does patriotism means the support of all practices and social life elements that currently exist? If so, how can a change be made for the better? With Archard’s view of loyalty, such change may never happen, or occur very slowly, which is inconsistent with the feelings and views of the citizens.
When considering the love for one’s country, it is crucial to keep in mind the image of an ideal state – democratic and where equality is supported in all institutions. Individuals who interpret Kaepernick’s actions as unpatriotic share a view similar to Archad’s, which fails to account for the many flaws that still exist in the country. Hence, an essential factor is that although there are some individuals and scholars who share a very narrow understanding of patriotism, there are others who advocate for a broader and more complex definition of the term.
When answering these complex questions about patriotism and protest, a contradiction arises. If black Americans were to adhere to the notion of patriotism in its traditional sense, slavery would still be a norm. Challenging the existing practices would be considered unpatriotic since they showcase a lack of loyalty or strong support for the ideas and ways in which this country operates (Burkey and Zamalian 371). However, the democratic society that supports equality, despite some systemic issues, which we have today would not exist. Burkey and Zamalian state that the contemporary discussions about patriotism always imply an image of an unpatriotic personal who lacks the virtues of a patriot (371). Moreover, the authors argue that these ideas of anti-patriotism were historically used against African-Americans. Such an approach helped justify the reproduction of racial inequality and contributed to the dehumanization of this community. This reflects another layer of issues with the traditional definition of patriotism and the problems of perceiving different categories of people as either patriots or traitors.
It is better to deviate from viewing patriotism as merely a devotion to a state and incorporate an urge to make positive changes into this definition as well. Simplistic views of patriotism ado do not allow comprehending the true nature of this phenomenon. As reviewed in this paper, there are examples of patriots of African-American descent who challenge the existing systems. Moreover,
Burkey and Zamalian provide examples of Martin Luther King Jr. and Frederick Douglass as people who also challenged the traditional system (371). They were loyal to their country, but not loyal to the unjust and discriminatory practices supported by its laws and social norms. Their work helped transform society, and it is difficult to imagine the history of this state without them.
Therefore, Martin Luther King Jr. and Frederick Douglass are also examples supporting the need to abolish the simplistic view of patriotism. Instead, view it as a complicated matter of loyalty combined with an ability to protest and support changes. Moreover, it is vital to change the social stigma regarding black protestors and the view of them as lacking the virtues of a patriot. Instead, it is better to consider the issues they talk about to continue helping the state become a better place.
The fight of black Americans today is also against racism, mainly the one that has been systemically failing this community. As a result of the discussion in this paper, one can state that Archard’s view of patriotism does not account for the contribution of the people who fight against the injustices. Although they protest the conventional norms and political decisions, they remain loyal to their homeland. It is essential to recognize the contribution and the patriotism displayed by black America’s community in their long-standing fight against slavery and inequality and towards justice and equality as an act of patriotism. Their actions help create a better society and a better state, and these people display both loyalty and a strive for making a change.
Conclusion
Overall, in this paper, the author disagrees with the definition of patriotism presented in David Archard’s article “The Ethics of Patriotism.” Richard’s view is consistent with the contemporary political theory, where patriotism is regarded as impeccable loyalty. However, throughout the history of the United States, there were many examples of renowned people who had a position that contradicted the social and political norms of the era, which can be seen as treason under Archard’s definition. Most notably, the community of black Americans has fought for many years to renounce slavery and racism. Examples of people such as Jimi Hendrix and Colin Kaepernick, who clearly stated their position against the state’s policies are a great demonstration of this. Regardless of their political and social beliefs, they cannot be viewed as unpatriotic, because their actions display love for their homeland and willingness to make a change. Therefore, Archard’s definition does not encompass all aspects of patriotism.
Works Cited
Archard, David. “The Ethics of Patriotism.” Contemporary Political Theory, vol. 15, no. 2, pp. e1–e3. Web.
Burkey, Maxwell, and Alex Zamalin. “Patriotism, Black Politics and Racial Justice in America.” New Political Science, vol. 38, no. 3, pp. 371–89. Web.
“Episode 1: The Fight for a True Democracy.” The New York Times, 2019. Web.
Spencer, Robin. “From Jimi Hendrix to Colin Kaepernick: Why Black Americans’ Patriotism Often Looks Like Protest.” The New York Times, 2017. Web.