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Allow me to clarify: from our Revolution to now, the primary emphasis on patriotic duty was for men to risk their lives in combat against our country's adversaries. My family, like nearly every other American family, has several generations of men serving during all of our wars. The phenomenon of "patriotic" service avoiders is relatively recent.

My own experience has been that the very best young men - and now women - still understand that their duty is to spend at least some small part of their time learning the skills of war and maybe losing everything for everyone's freedoms/the survival of our country. For those who have served in combat, their lives are changed. For those who have been wounded, they have to live with the limitations and pain every day. For those who have lost family members, that hole in their lives will never be filled.

There is no higher patriotism than serving your country in combat. Sitting at home and paying taxes is more or less patriotic but in the end it just means that you were warm, safe and comfy while other good lives took the burden for you.

In short, you should have the good grace not to trumpet your lack of service as some sort of higher calling. It wasn't.