“My kind of loyalty was loyalty to one’s country, not to its institutions or its office-holders”

More than anything, the United States is an idea. It is good to remember that since its inception, a rancorous debate has ensued on how to best express that idea. None today are likely to accuse any of our founding fathers of a lack of patriotism, though they certainly did of each other.

Could it be possible – barring the purely mean and self-serving voices on all sides – that both liberals and conservatives can not only consider themselves but, oddly enough, each other as patriots?

Perish the thought that there may be some common ground from which to work through the issues of the day.

mark twain A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court patriotism partisanship government ann coulter