From the Abolitionist Movement and Civil War, to Women’s Suffrage and the Labor Movement, to the New Deal and World War II, to the Civil Rights and Anti-war movement, to our era of social and environmental justice work, our nation’s history is rich with examples of people who risked their comfort and wellbeing for the rights of many. Social activists and members of the military are similar in that they took on personal risk to defend the Constitution. Few others have so intimately borne the struggle to make real our nation’s founding ideals. Without generations of people working for the promises of our nation’s founding, we would lack the benefit of their equality gains and we would be less free to work for the benefit of others.
Many generations of patriots have protected us from Enemies of the Constitution, enemies who would remove our rights to gain unjust power and profit for themselves. Patriots serving in the Military have accepted great personal risk to protect our lives and liberties from foreign threats. Stateside, civil servant patriots have worked to support the Constitution. Social activists patriots have risked liberty and life to press their elected officials to support the Constitution by advancing the rights of all. Civilian patriots have fought those in industry and elected office for freedom from systemic injustice. All these patriots are people who love our country by loving the people of our country.
