What Is Patriotism?

 There are many, many definitions of patriotism.  The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines patriotism as:  Love for or devotion to one's country.  Here are a few notable definitions:

"Patriotism is not a short frenzied burst of emotion, but the long and steady dedication of a lifetime."   A quote from Thomas Jefferson

"Patriotism means to stand by the country. It does not mean to stand by the president or any other public official, save exactly to the degree in which he himself stands by the country. It is patriotic to support him insofar as he efficiently serves the country. It is unpatriotic not to oppose him to the exact extent that by inefficiently or otherwise he fails in his duty to stand by the country. In either event, it is unpatriotic not to tell the truth, whether about the president or anyone else."   A quote from Theodore Roosevelt
 

"Patriotism is a salt against rottenness, a glorious spur to high endevour; it recovers the half-obliterated virtue of loyalty, calls every man to service, and ennobles great and small alike."   A quote from Percy Dearmer

"A man's country is not a certain area of land, of mountains, rivers, and woods, but it is a principle and patriotism is loyalty to that principle." A quote from George William Curtis

 "Such is the patriot's boast, wher'er we roam,
His first, best country ever is at home."  A quote from Oliver Goldsmith