ISTM to be partly a matter of emphasis. Is it patriotic to have an occasion where we only talk about America’s good points? It appears that some people don’t think so.
I love my wife, although she has some flaws. If I take her out to dinner on our anniversary, I don’t say things like “overall you are a great person, but I still need to mention that you aren’t perfect.” That doesn’t mean I don’t see that she has flaws, or that I will beat someone up who suggests that she has flaws, or that I don’t love my wife. It means there is a time and a place for everything. Do we need to mention that Martin Luther King Jr. was a plagiarist and a wife-beater every January 15th? Do we need to mention Islamic terrorism every time someone mentions Ramadan?
Whether there are more red state Americans who can’t say anything bad about America vs. blue staters who can’t say anything good, I don’t know.
Regards,
Shodan