{"id":3885,"date":"2020-07-03T00:43:45","date_gmt":"2020-07-03T08:43:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.tavbooks.com\/?p=3885"},"modified":"2020-07-03T09:58:09","modified_gmt":"2020-07-03T17:58:09","slug":"what-is-patriotism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/blog.tavbooks.com\/?p=3885","title":{"rendered":"What is Patriotism?"},"content":{"rendered":"

And how should we show it?<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

\"Freedom\"<\/p>\n

This July 4th, it might feel hard to get in the mood for our typical Independence Day celebrations. And to that we say… excellent<\/em>. So much has happened this year, and we are still only halfway through! These recent serious, life-changing events have taught us how to band together, but it has also taught us how easy it is for the cracks to\u00a0split us apart. This July 4th, here at Tavistock Books it felt strange to promote an all-American item or highlight an American author, when there is\u00a0so<\/i><\/b>\u00a0much we need to do to be the nation we want to be… the nation we can<\/em> be. Change isn’t always radical – occasionally it is a one-step-at-a-time kind of deal. But let’s take that first step… let’s discuss what we think it might mean to be 100% proud of your country.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Merriam-Webster dictionary definition of patriotism is “love for or devotion to one’s country”. The Cambridge Dictionary describes it as\u00a0“the feeling of loving your country more than any others and being proud of it”. There are a thousand different ways of saying just this… patriotism is the feeling of love and pride for one’s country. Perhaps Independence Day this year is subdued because of the well-placed restrictions on groups, or because of social distancing, or because we are scared. Perhaps some feel a current lack of pride in how our government has handled a global pandemic and addressed systemic racism in our nation. Whichever it is… again, here at Tavistock Books we think we can do better.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How can we feel patriotism more strongly as a nation? What would cause us to feel more pride for our country? Effective and strong, intelligent yet compassionate leadership, a feeling of togetherness… of facing battles side-by-side, rather than on opposite sides of the fence. Being better allies to all people of color, especially those that have been forsaken by the system again, and again. Taking the\u00a0entire nation’s health into consideration when we go about our days, not just focusing on how small or trivial (yet essential) changes affect us as individuals. Perhaps in order to be proud of ourselves as a country, we need to first understand that it is a big world… and we are\u00a0lucky<\/i><\/b>\u00a0to be a part of it. We should be working toward looking out for each other and looking out for our planet, not simply focusing on ourselves as independent units. If we fail or look ridiculous, if we hurt others or our environment – we do it as a unit. This Independence Day, we – as booksellers, as Americans, as humans – urge all of our fellow bibliophiles, families and friends,\u00a0to read<\/i>. Be informed, educate yourselves. Then<\/em> think about how we can be better as individuals.<\/span><\/p>\n

Perhaps, once we are able to\u00a0elevate ourselves as a whole, in both thought and deed, Independence Day will again have a deeper, more wholesome meaning. With that belief in mind, here are a few reading lists we recommend, with books on several of the topics\u00a0mentioned in this blog. Let’s put them to good use this 4th of July, shall we?<\/span><\/p>\n

The World Economic Forum on 5 Books to Read for Context on the Coronavirus Outbreak\u00a0https:\/\/www.weforum.org\/agenda\/2020\/03\/coronavirus-books-pandemic-reading-covid19\/<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

EarthDay.org’s\u00a013\u00a0Must-Read Books on the Environment and Climate Change\u00a0https:\/\/www.earthday.org\/13-must-read-books-on-the-environment-and-climate-change\/<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Arielle Gray’s Reading List on Race for Allies Who Want to do Better\u00a0https:\/\/www.wbur.org\/artery\/2020\/06\/17\/reading-list-on-race-for-allies<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Wishing everyone a pleasant Independence Day, stay safe.<\/p>\n

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