[Right_in_Virginia]

John Kerry ... accused Republicans on Friday of distorting his record and attacking his patriotism.

Oh for heaven's sake...is he back on this nonsense?

What a waste of oxygen.

[alloysteel]

"Patriotism" is not the same thing as "being a patriot". There is a clear, but subtle difference. One may go through the MOTIONS of being a patriot, yet feel not the least stirring in his heart. Down deep, where nobody on the outside may discern the cold lifeless loathing that is at the core of being, all the rituals may be acted out, and while this fine acting performance is going on, the plans for dismantling what is considered to be the whole sham are being rehearsed and honed.

But true patriotic emotion comes from the inside, a genuine love and affection for those abstract principles that define the intangible "home", and an intense desire to protect and defend in every way, even by life itself, the ideals that have surrounded your existence, your home, your family, the set of eccentricities that define your ethnicity, and the larger piece of real estate that you have chosen as your country. This realm is not only a place on the map, it is a state of mind.