Some people join the U.S. military for a job. Others for college money, or a way out of their hometown, or simply to see something bigger than their slice of the world. Some of us joined out of patriotism.

That was me. But as I quickly found out, it was the exception, not the rule.

Now, you might assume a young man joining the military “for patriotism” must have been naive—idealistic, maybe even propagandized. I was not.

Even at 21, I thought hard about the nature of this country—its power, its history, its contradictions. I asked myself: Are we really better than our potential enemies?

The United States is a powerful nation, but it has not always been a righteous one. It has pursued brutal wars, backed violent regimes, and justified its actions with selective memory. Against the Soviet Union? Yes, unquestionably the better of the two—but that couldn’t be the only standard. If the enemy had been someone else, would I still have served? That question demanded real thought.

What finally convinced me to raise my right hand wasn’t blind belief in American superiority. It was the belief that, for all its epic flaws, the United States aspired to be better. It had a self-correcting impulse written into its bones. It didn’t always live up to it, but it had the capacity for revision, reflection, and reform. That mattered.

🗰️ Today, that faith is harder to sustain.

On the 249th anniversary of American independence, I no longer believe most Americans share that same aspiration. Too many now seek comforting lies over uncomfortable truths. They want myth over memory, slogans over substance. For some, loving America means defending it from all criticism—even the well-earned kind. That’s not patriotism. That’s insecurity.

I’m still hopeful that this trend can and will reverse. But hope is not the same as denial. The current reality is undeniable: our civic culture is in retreat. Our democratic muscle is atrophying. And we are too often choosing delusion over responsibility.

🗣️ To my fellow Americans, on this 249th Independence Day:

Learn what patriotism really is.
Patriotism is not pretending your country has no flaws.
It is seeing those flaws clearly—and working to repair them.
Patriotism, properly understood, is not loyalty to a government or a flag. It is dedication to principles: liberty, accountability, justice.
It is not nationalism. Nationalism demands loyalty without question. Patriotism demands accountability because you care.

We’re one year from the 250th anniversary of a republic born in revolution and contradiction. We still have time to be worthy of that milestone. But not if we lie to ourselves. And not if we confuse loyalty with obedience.

I served the country I was born into. I still believe in the country we haven’t yet become.