Hi, GfS -
I would hope that patriotism could cross ideological lines, that people of different political persuasions could put that aside and sing "America the Beautiful" or "God Save the King Queen" without the baggage of ideology - but that seems to happen less and less often nowadays.

I was registered with the Boy Scouts of America for thirty years. Patriotism is an important thing in the Scouts, and I generally felt very comfortable with the attitude toward patriotism in the Scouts. Toward the end, though (about 1990), I became disillusioned. The Scouts became more closely identified with religious and political conservatism, and I began to feel I didn't fit in anymore. The Girl Scouts didn't follow that path in the U.S. - but they still emphasize patriotism.

-Joe-