Like most people, I ended up an American citizen by default. I’ve had moments of soaring patriotism, created mostly by emotional tableaus of distant wars and family ancestry, but for the most part I’m a lousy patriot. Saturated by opportunity and spoiled by freedom, I approach the Fourth of July as a selfish pragmatist: Can I have three hot dogs and still look good in my swimsuit?  Do I have enough blueberries to make a tri-colored fruit salad? 

For people who are intensely nationalistic, my indifference to this country’s freedoms must be maddening. If I were to compare patriotic devotion to, let’s say, Christianity, I would be the frustrating pew-sitter who takes advantage of VBS and church potlucks but cares little about either theology or personal sacrifice. I would be part of the 80% of church attenders who watch the 20% do all the heavy lifting. The comparison between politics and religion isn’t really a stretch. What two topics are most apt to raise blood pressure among dinner guests or create lively classroom debates? For some people, being an American is their greatest asset, their identifying marker, their point of highest allegiance. So when I only see Independence Day as reason to host a family BBQ instead of blood shed for freedom, my patriotic brothers and sisters get a little crazy. 

He served two terms as President. Many historians consider him the greatest of American leaders. A tall, white, landowner from Virginia. Impeccable credentials, but a couple of serious issues. Liaisons with “other women.” Well, we are kind of used to that by now. A supporter of slavery. Hmmm, that’s a real problem. An owner of slaves? This is . . . troubling. Created his own version of the Bible by cutting out all the miracles, leaving the moral lessons to be read among the gaping holes in the pages. That could be a problem. Founded the University of Virginia and insisted that a chapel would not be allowed on the campus. Unlike the other universities in the United States, his would be the first to have a library as the center, instead of a chapel. Knowledge instead of God. Interesting. A deist, slave-owning landowner from Virginia. Yes, this is Thomas Jefferson and one of our “founding fathers.”