# 'MERICA!!! patriotism / nationalism: good or bad?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merica-patriotism-nationalism-good-or-bad/790438>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [July 3, 2017, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merica-patriotism-nationalism-good-or-bad/790438 "2017-07-03T15:24:39Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 179

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**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\
**Post date:** [July 11, 2017, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/merica-patriotism-nationalism-good-or-bad/790438/179 "2017-07-11T22:34:41Z")

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> [@snfaulkner](#):
>
> The birthday of our nation which constitutionally allows us to bash it whenever we want. What could be more American than that?

I agree that we’ve all got the right to bash it whenever we want, but I wouldn’t say it’s always “appropriate”. I thought this question by Shodan was really on-point:

> [@Shodan](#):
>
> Do we need to mention that Martin Luther King Jr. was a plagiarist and a wife-beater every January 15th?

Sure, I guess someone _could_ do that, but it’s the sort of anti-social behavior that alienates and annoys people. I’d call it “inappropriate” even though it’s perfectly legal.

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