The Associated Press (AP) has been blasted as “pathetic” after the outlet published a hit piece on Independence Day that smears Americans who consider themselves to be patriots.
As Americans around the world proudly celebrated the Fourth of July, the AP published an article Tuesday claiming that the word “patriot” has become problematic in recent years.
In the article, the outlet tries to smear patriots by linking the use of the word “patriot” with extremist groups.
The AP argues that the word had become overtly political and taken up by extremist groups.
The article suggests that those who call themselves patriots may be expressing hatred for certain minority groups rather than their love for the country.
“The term ‘patriot’ in America has become infused in political rhetoric and school curriculums, with varying meanings, while also being appropriated by white nationalist groups,” the outlet tweeted along with a link to the full piece.
The term ‘patriot’ in America has become infused in political rhetoric and school curriculums, with varying meanings, while also being appropriated by white nationalist groups. https://t.co/UO2stwBz51
— The Associated Press (@AP) July 4, 2023
“Today, the word and its variants have morphed beyond the original meaning,” the article alleged.
“It has become infused in political rhetoric and school curriculums, with varying definitions, while being appropriated by white nationalist groups.”
It continued by using data from the far-left Southern Poverty Law Center to support the idea that radical right-wing extremists had coopted the word.
“Trying to define what a patriot is depends on who is being asked,” the article adds.
Citing the Capitol Riot on January 6th, 2021, Louisiana State University historian Gaines Foster said that extremist groups were beginning to focus on a more revolutionary meaning of the word.
“People began to lean less toward a commitment to democracy and more to the notion in the Declaration of Independence that there is a ‘right of revolt,’ and that becomes patriotism,” Foster claims.
However, the term patriot has always been political.
The founding fathers felt so strongly about being patriots that they waged war with the most powerful empire on the planet so they could be free from the politics of a monarchical system in which they had no political representation.
Being a patriot means having an enduring passion to preserve the freedom of yourself and your countrymen.
There will always be groups that subvert terms but those efforts don’t change the meanings of those words.
Similarly, the Left coopts words such as “liberal” and “democratic” to suggest they support freedom, when in fact, the Democrats stand for the complete opposite.
Critics were quick to point out that the timing of the article and the subject matter were suspect.
“Just can’t help themselves,” Chad Felix Greene tweeted.
“AP can’t even take a break from dividing Americans on Independence Day. Pathetic,” another said.
“AP desperately tries to malign the word ‘patriot’ on #4thofJuly,” Andy Martin responded.
“Only thing it does is remind us how much they hate the U.S. #Patriots.”