The sentence in Senator Obama's patriotism speech that resonates most with me is that "[Patriotism is] loyalty to America's ideals, ideals for which anyone can sacrifice, or defend, or give their last full measure of devotion."

-snip-

If we are to be loyal to America's ideals, sometimes we have to take risks and dissent. And hopefully, our dissent will be smart [strategic, with an eye to the main goal and recognition of the short term and the long term consequences to that goal.

Sometimes we have to put ourselves "on front street" by speaking out and/or taking actions that we hope will make the American government and make Americans be true to it's [to our] stated and written ideals and laws.

For me, this is tied to the belief that we should make the world a better place than what it was when we entered it.

On a personal level, disregarding the dogmatic reference in the words, a song that partly exemplifies this for me is "If I Can Help Somebody":

If I Can Help Somebody,

[A. Bazel Androzzo, © 1945, Alma B. Androzzo]

If I can help somebody as I pass along,
If I can cheer somebody with a word or song,
If I can show somebody he is trav'ling wrong,
Then my living shall not be in vain.

Then my living shall not be in vain,
Then my living shall not be in vain;
If I can help somebody as I pass along,
Then my living shall not be in vain.

If I can do my duty as a Christian ought,
If I can bring back beauty to a world up-wrought,
If I can spread love's message that the Master taught,
Then my living shall not be in vain.

Then my living shall not be in vain,
Then my living shall not be in vain;
If I can help somebody as I pass along,
Then my living shall not be in vain.

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