In Juneau's local paper several commenters disagreed on America's "exceptionalism". I and at least one other person contended that even though we love our country just as most people love the place where they were born, the very concept exceptionalism is naive and disingenuous, that this country, like most other countries, has done good things but equally bad things to its people and to the world, things in the past and the present that will impact the future for all. I said that the thing I am proud of America for is the willingness many of its people have to acknowledge its shortcomings and to seek to improve it. I love the humility of this line in 'America, the Beautiful': God mend thine every flaw and crown thy good with brotherhood and liberty in law.

One person took great umbrage at our position and has since in other threads claimed that we are people who hate our country, that "real" patriots would never think such a thing.

Yep. I'm afraid of 'real patriots'.