Elder Ezra T. Benson, Part Three: Theodore Roosevelt Defining Patriotism

 For Part One, Part Two, or Part Four, select your link and go. 

 I should be posting this during an election cycle, but maybe it's safer to do it when things are more quiet.

Today's quote, still from Elder Ezra T. Benson's talk, "Civic Standards for the Faithful Saints", brings up a very interesting point - one that's probably not often considered today - principles over personalities.

And he quotes President Theodore Roosevelt when he says:

 

The Quote

“Patriotism,” said Theodore Roosevelt, 

“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. …

“Every man,” said President Roosevelt, 

“who parrots the cry of ‘stand by the President’ 

without adding the proviso ‘so far as he serves the Republic’ 

 takes an attitude as essentially unmanly as that of any Stuart royalist 

who championed the doctrine that the King could do no wrong. 

No self-respecting and intelligent free man could take such an attitude.” 

(Theodore Roosevelt, Works, vol. 21, pp. 316, 321.) 

Simply by looking at the reference, I despair of every finding these specific quotes in their original source material - Roosevelt wrote a lot and the websites that house his work are a little bit difficult to navigate.

Still, taken at face value, the thought is worth considering.

Are we loyal to a party? A person? Or the principles underlying our government for 200 years? 

Not asking anyone those questions myself - these are a self-edit, for sure. 

And I suppose what 'serves the Republic' and what doesn't could also be up for individual interpretation.

Still, my allegiance is to my Father in Heaven, and He says to be a good citizen and do my civic duty in the country I belong to, so I do, for that reason alone.  

 

My country, under God...

 

Nations carry imperfect banners - all nations - but the basic principles of goodness and morality unite us all - whether we believe in this or in this or in something else entirely. 

In order to survive as a globe of God's children, we need to at least learn to stand by something noble and good together.