I defeat my enemy when I make him my friend. ~ President Abraham Lincoln.

The True Definition of Patriotism is being willing to find Common Ground with our “Enemies,” to Serve & Care for our Fellow Citizens.

On wearing a mask: “It is not a surrender of liberty, it is the affirmation of love.” ~ Cory Booker

Rather understandably, given the violence, and the racism, sexism, anti-Semitism, vitriol of the past years…it’s become “cool” among progressives to say that forgiving let alone serving, sacrificing, talking with, or listening to those on the other side of the aisle isn’t patriotic or ethical…it’s immoral.

So I appreciate hearing this fuller, deeper discussion of true Patriotism, from Cory Booker.

I typed a bit of the interview and discussion below–paraphrasing, as I couldn’t quite keep up. ~ Waylon

Notes from the below video interview: 

“I’m going to always be a prisoner of hope, and just believe American history, it’s a perpetual testimony for the achievement of impossible things, and we have no right to believe that we can’t in our generation do things that people think are long-shots or hard.”

“Wing man.” “You can’t lead the people if you don’t love the people.”

“Fourth-largest mass casualty event in American history.” “Businesses on the brink, jobs have been lost.”

“A disservice to all of us and national security.” “Take his ball and go home.”

Why are the two run-off seats in Georgia election important. Pandemic relief, infrastructure bill. Very hard to get things done under the self-named Grim Reaper. Climate Change, health care, immigration reform. Vote. Volunteer. Send $5. Kamala would be the deciding vote on any tie.

Find our common ground, yet stand our ground, commonalities, partners on the other side of the aisle. They are not our enemy, in fact they are necessities in our lives. Rugged individualism didn’t get us to the moon, didn’t map the human genome, beat the Nazis, we did those things together.

Covid could get truly dangerous, if we don’t get it under control, folks don’t think it’s real, why so difficult to wear a mask?

“It is not a surrender of liberty, it is the affirmation of love–that I care enough for other people, for your health and your well-being, your grandparents, your child that may have other health challenges, you can not love your country unless you love your countrymen and women. It is not sentimentality, it means I am willing to serve you and sacrifice for you. The least we can do is show that courtesy and grace. Our economy will not fully recover until we get this under control.”

We need each other in all crises. We must pull together. A leader not calling us together but tearing us apart. This is not who we are, we are better than this as a nation.

Our response? To fall into conspiracy theories…this is not who we are. Victory Gardens. Victory bonds. Pull together. We need a WWII-like mobilization now. We’ve just elected a President who will take this seriously, call us to common cause. A renewal of a deeper level of patriotism. 

James Corden connects with Sen. Cory Booker who tells James how President-elect Joe Biden once stepped up as a wingman to his girlfriend while they were facing each other during the presidential primary. After, the two discuss the Senate run-off in Georgia, the country’s ongoing fight against COVID-19, and Sen. Booker offers a message of hope.

The rest:

Bonus:

My discussion with Cory, a few months back: