Response for 12/1

What is patriotism? This is, I believe, the underlying argument in the articles for this section. It is only through answering this question that we can begin to teach it in our classrooms. But my question is, Is there are "right" kind of patriotism? There are obviously what some people consider "bad" or "wrong" kinds of patriotism, like the blind patriotism mentioned in the Kahne and Middaugh article. But no one seems to agree on what the "right" kind of patriotism is, or if there even is a "right" kind. The Kahne and Middaugh article seems to come the closests to actually telling us how to teach patriotism in the classroom, but even their explanation is a bit confusing. Apparently we are supposed to help foster our students' "love of country" by teaching them about democratic ideals, but at the same time lead them to question the actions of the country that they are supposed to be loving. Now of course I understand that it is possible to love this country AND question it at the same time, but I am not sure if even high school students would be able to see this distinction. Mitchell and Parker even point out on page 24 of their article that a group a high school seniors seemed much more connected to what they call their "urban identification" than to any kind of national identity. How does this connection breed a sense of patriotism? If we are teaching students to question the actions of the country they are living in while they are so firmly attached to their local connections, how are we teaching them national patriotism? I guess I don't really have an answer to this question. I am in such a state of frustration with this country right now that I don't know how I would be able to step into a classroom and help my students form a "love of country." If I don't even understand how to be "patriotic" while at the same time questioning the motives and actions of my country, how can I teach a group of students patriotism?