Patriotism Today The current “Anthem” protests controversy should hopefully lead to a national conversation as to the meaning of patriotism. What does it mean to be patriotic today, in a very divided society with sometimes opposing views of America’s core values and what it stands for? Patriotism is perceived as a positive concept and attitude sustained by strong emotions such as love, belonging, gratitude and pride. A position or an attitude perceived as un-patriotic is considered by some as a form of treason that deserves punishment. According the U.S. Constitution (Article III, Section 3) “Congress shall have the power to declare the punishment of treason.” Patriotism can be misused or even abused if wrongly applied. John Kleinig, Emeritus Professor of Philosophy in the Department of Criminal Justice, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, the co-author of The Ethics of Patriotism , makes the point that patriotism might be conceived as ...