Clearly there is a fine line between a necessary and healthy love of one's country (i.e., patriotism) and a unnecessary and unhealthy belief in the righteousness of everything one's country does (i.e., nationalism).  Patriotism is a love for your own country that allows you to respect the love that other people have for their own country. Patriotism allows for an acknowledgement that your country isn't perfect but you love it anyway (like your family). Patriotism recognizes the value of nations while still loving your own.

Nationalism, on the other hand, is a love for your country that places no value on other nations or the love that other people have for their nations. Nationalism is based upon a tenet of superiority which by definition, makes the rights and interests of all other nations secondary to the rights and interests of your own. Nationalist sentiments inspired and justified the colonization of two-thirds of the world by a handful of countries for hundreds of years. Nationalist sentiments inspired the Nazis after World War I. Nationalist sentiments are dangerous and continue today, both in our own country and in others around the world.

I started thinking about patriotism because of an article I read yesterday. It said that Republicans plan to attack Senator Obama for not being patriotic enough. The case against Senator Obama is as follows: first, a picture was taken at an event where Senator Obama failed to place his hand over his heart during the National Anthem; second, he decided to stop wearing the American flag lapel pin because he wanted to tell Americans what he "believed made this country great" and he wanted his words to be his "testimony" to his patriotism; and finally, his wife, Michelle Obama, spoke at a rally recently and declared that she was really proud of America for the "first time in her adult life" (referencing the political process).

Whether you agree with Senator Obama's positions on the issues, why would we suspect he devotion to and love for this country? He has spent his life, to date, as an elected official. He felt a calling. Personally, I don't know that he necessarily planned to run for President in 2008. I feel as though he was swept up in the momentum of his supporters for this election. And can anyone really deny that he may be risking his life by running for President? He was assigned Secret Service protection in May of 2007, nine months earlier than any other presidential candidate has ever received Secret Service protection. Do you remember when Colin Powell refused to run for President in 1996? Granted that was 12 years ago, but his wife was worried about his physical safety if he ran. I don't think she was being unreasonable to worry.

Do I think there are people in America who want to kill Senator Obama for running for President or will want to kill him if he is elected as President? Yes, I think there are and I think there will be. I think he knows this and the people who love and care about him know this. I think his decision to continue with his candidacy is courageous and was not one made lightly. I also think that to accuse him of not loving this country (e.g., not being patriotic enough) that he is risking his life to have the chance to lead is more than a little ridiculous. I think it minimizes the sacrifices and risks that he and his family are making. We have come a long way as a country, but not long enough. I hope the Republicans don't pursue that kind of attack because, quite frankly, it looks petty.

Senator Obama is, in my opinion, very patriotic. But he is not a nationalist. Nor should he be. Nationalism is dangerous. Nationalism precludes open dialogue with other countries and multi-lateral, cooperative actions on matters of international importance. Nationalism has no place in the 21st century and no place in the Oval Office. I suggest we look at all the candidates and the way they address foreign policy and ask ourselves, "is that patriotism or nationalism?" This is a question that is bigger than one's decision to wear a lapel pin of the American flag.