I have always despised those folks that wrap themselves in the flag...

[kentuck]

...and proclaim that they are much better Americans than you or I.

Now, it seems to me that it was mostly for show. I'm not sure that they ever loved our country?

Their support of Donald Trump has caused me to look at them with a different lens. How can they love our country and support such a person?

I feel like Paul Revere. I fight the urge to get the largest flag I can find and run up and down the street yelling, "The fascists are coming!"

I do not want to see my country go down like this.

[sarge43]

1. I've always liked this one

Patriotism is like sex, faith and your bank account; if you really got it, you don't need to flaunt it.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

2. I will never forget

... all of the superficial flag lapel pins and "freedom fries" during the run-up of the invasion in Iraq. It was insanity to me. It blew my mind that conservative propagandists had apparently convinced a majority of Americans that Saddam Hussein was responsible for 9/11 back then.

Superficial works well on the ignorant.

[YOHABLO]

3. This is what Sinclair Lewis said:

"When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross."

[raven mad]

8. Yep.

Sarah Palin all over again. She thought this quote from Lewis would buy her some votes.

Wrong again, Sarah..........

[HereSince1628]

4. It seems that they may love America that doesn't exist, maybe never has.

They don't share your respect for the nation, particularly at the federal level.

It really seems their America is an America without what most of us think of as America--a central government of the federation of states strong enough to guarantee rights and protect citizens from enemies, criminals and exploiters both foreign -and domestic-.

Their America is open to 'states rights' and sovereign personal rights, free from federal 'interference'. It's an America of tough independent yeoman (aka gun-toting disaffected loners) who in their dreams kick the ass of anything and everything that's in their way.

Yes, what they love isn't a nation but a national dream-state. A nation populated by very free men in which each man is at liberty to pursue a guilt-free life, independently, according to the personal audacity of their choices of self-serving ignorance, treachery and bigotry.

Their America is reflected in our Hollywood past... those movies about privateering buccaneers, moon-shiners and emperors of boardwalks. It's an America beloved and apparently longed for across low and high levels of society... from Cliven Bundy to Roger Ailes.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

5. The love a past America

... that has been spun to seem better than it really was:

[HereSince1628]

6. Yes, and we all know about re-constructions of memory and history.

[Boomerproud]

7. They love the America where they were the only privliged people.

and they could look at the masses and say "Whew, glad that's not me."