"Do not ... regard the critics as questionable patriots. What were Washington and Jefferson and Adams but profound critics of the colonial status quo?"
- Adlai Stevenson

"Our country ... when right, to be kept right; when wrong, to be put right."
- Carl Schurz

I remember well the day in 1954 when we fifth graders turned toward the flag at the back of the classroom and recited the revised Pledge of Allegiance for the first time. Initially the added phrase "under God" was awkward and unwieldy. But being a patriotic young Cub Scout, I accepted the modification readily and thought very little about it until recently.

Now the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco has ruled that the Pledge of Allegiance is unconstitutional because the "under God" phrase serves as an endorsement of religion. And, once again, politicians of all stripes appear to be in a contest to prove the authenticity and extent of their patriotism.

Of course, displays of patriotism have been prominent in this nation since Sept. 11. American flags attached to homes, offices and autos. American flag pins on lapels and other clothing. Bumper stickers proclaiming "United We Stand" and "God Bless America." "The Star Spangled Banner" and "America the Beautiful" are sung, the Pledge of Allegiance recited.

Not that there's anything wrong with symbolic demonstrations of one's patriotism, but there are, after all, more tangible ways of expressing it. For we all know that the patriots of the American Revolution did not merely shout, "Don't tread on me" and tie their assorted flags to their buggies. These courageous men and women not only spoke out against injustice; they declared an independent nation and placed their lives and property on the line.

Today we are confronted with the call for a new American Revolution, a non-violent movement to finally live up to our highest ideals as a nation - freedom, justice, equality and compassion. And to answer this call, more will be required of us.

For a true patriot will not stand idly by as long as one child goes hungry.

A true patriot will not rest easily while fellow citizens have no place to live.

A true patriot will not turn a blind eye toward those who are ill and cannot afford health care.

A true patriot will not support politicians who throw billions of dollars toward military armaments and other boondoggles while giving our educational system and our national infrastructure short shrift.

A true patriot will not endure corporate criminals who loot their companies and leave employees with little to show for their labor.

A true patriot will not support an economic system in which the richest 1 percent of the population owns more wealth than the bottom 95 percent.

A true patriot will not tolerate the destruction of our natural resources and the extinction of thousands of species to feed an economy that acts like there's no tomorrow.

A true patriot will not accept acts of violence against any human being or animal of any other species.

A true patriot will not abide stolen civil liberties in the name of greater national security.

It's time for more than merely waving the flag, singing patriotic songs and proclaiming one's love of country. To be a patriot in this day and age is to wake up and look around, with clarity and discernment. To be a patriot is to take personal action - to feed the hungry, to house the homeless, to live more simply, to elect true public servants. To be a patriot is to allocate our resources wisely and to live out our highest values as individuals and as a nation.

We can create the lives we want for our children and ourselves. We can create a nation that lives up to the ideals of our Founding Fathers. But it's up to us - individually and collectively.

For if we are not now willing to undertake the challenging tasks at hand, there will ultimately be little need for the symbolic gestures now so fully in vogue.

Readers can contact Mulkey at brmulkey@charter.net.

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