THE ESSENCE OF PATRIOTISM
The nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave….
– Elmer Davies
Patriotism is deep love and devotion for one’s country. It is a known fact that love thrives on the soil of worthiness; the frustration and nothingness which grace the cumbersome task of loving an unworthy person is something all will gladly evade. What we most times ignore is the fact that genuine love when expressed, could be a healing tonic to the most beastly of hearts and this could unravel the beauty of most beasts that have been condemned to oblivion by self and humanity.
The beastly of hearts and the aftermath beauty is a metaphor to express the disappointing situation of the Nigeria’s economy and how true love and sacrifices from her citizens can bring out the best of her.
In a country like ours, where the deprivation suffered as a result of gross mismanagement and greed is on the high side, it is really difficult to convince the lay man on the beauty and essence of patriotism. They view patriotism as supporting your country and government only when they deserve it.
The true patriotic spirit as posited by Mark Twain, is “supporting your country all the time and your government when it deserves it”. As citizens, our country belongs to each and everyone one of us and not just a selected class of men. The mess we’ve created is an offshoot of a long time of neglect, indiscipline, fear, irresponsibility and disloyalty.
If there’s anything that defines an average Nigerian man, it is the “I don’t care” attitude; we find it difficult to take up responsibilities for issues that are not so personal. Issues of national interest and individual social responsibility are considered unnecessary by majority of us.
We have successfully exempted ourselves from activities that could dismantle the institution of corruption and bad governance in our country. We are somehow comfortable with the erroneous belief that the problems in our country, start and ends with the government.
The problems we are encountering in Nigeria can only be gradually corrected if as a people, we set our priorities right by putting our country first before anything else. We can do so much by being intentional about our individual social responsibility.
Corruption is a bane to our growth as a people, neglect and a hushed voice is a lubricant for decadence. Indiscipline is a steep step to destruction and all these can only be corrected if we as a people intentionally nurture and ignite the fire of passion necessary for the sustenance of a freedom once acquired through the blood of the slained.
Our actions have a ripple effect on individuals and the nation at large. In the international arena, the name “Nigeria”, holds no weight and it’s often times associated with corruption, thievery and abject poverty. The humiliation of the unnecessary “falling to rise” experiences, subtle discrimination and the aftermath of a deep feeling of inferiority complex which Nigerians in diaspora are exposed to, is one saddening experience that can be corrected.
The influx of our children who are only too happy to leave home and call a place they are grudgingly and conditionally accepted home, should be enough reason to rise to the call of patriotism. We have come a long way to relegate to the background the sacrifices of our founding fathers; we have come a long way to trample underfoot the hopes of the common man and our future generations; we have come too long a way to go back into captivity by completely loosing that yummy taste of true freedom. We dare not for posterity will curse and ask us questions.
The shinning stars of the world like Japan, South Korea, China and the United States of America got to their present level through some weary years of bravery, sacrifices, responsibility and a deep understanding of what sustenance of freedom, which is an essence of patriotism entail. They created their reality and edited their history to the point of getting a near perfect state; their children rejoice in their wise decisions; posterity clamour for a share in their identity; the world cheer them on and as Nigerians, we rub their feet, massage their ego, lay down and are only too happy to have their cool feet get on our scruffy backs.
It wasn’t meant to be this way; the developmental strides of these shinning stars could be replicated in our country and more. With ALL hands on deck and a rekindling of the flames of passion in our hearts for the state of the Nigerian economy and her people, we can take Nigeria to that enviable height where she becomes the best place for all the inhabitants of the earth…
Patriotism is of the essence and it is the key; she is the real deal…
Tags: national development patriotism