This archive report was first published on 1 December 2019.
Published on December 1, 2019, by Scheaffer Okore, a renowned author, the article 'Patriotism is not about sycophancy' delves into the often-misunderstood concept of patriotism.
According to the Cambridge dictionary, patriotism is the feeling of loving one's country and being proud of it. However, this ideal only extends as far as the country is concerned, not necessarily the government.
James Baldwin once said, 'I love America more than any other country in the world, and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticise it perpetually.' This quote highlights the importance of speaking out against injustices, even when it's difficult.
Unfortunately, patriotism has often been confused with sycophancy, which is excessive obedience or behaviour towards someone important in order to gain an advantage. Sycophancy is targeted towards specific people of importance, while patriotism is about the country as a whole.
Patriotic citizens recognise that the country is bigger than its government and seek to hold space for improvement of democratic governance and governance processes such as accountability, integrity, rule of law, equality, and many other best practices.
It's time we taught ourselves that we cannot claim to love our country if we do not have the capability to critique its governance. Our patriotism cannot simply be about wearing bracelets with the Kenyan colours while our lips are sealed on the countless injustices that people are grappling with.
