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IMy friend Kathy has always been a proud patriot. A passionate supporter of veterans and first responders. Someone who volunteered countless hours in her community and teared up when the National Anthem played.
Kathy’s never considered herself a partisan. She’s a registered independent.
But she recently confided she’s not feeling so patriotic anymore and is angry that extremists have stolen part of what made her proud to be an American, turning patriotic symbols and phrases into dog whistles for white nationalism.
I’ve heard similar stories from other friends who no longer fly the American flag or use the word “patriot,” fearing people will assume they’re members of the MAGA crowd or QAnon cult — radicals who want to overturn the results of a free and fair election.