Patriotism starts at local level

This summer, I celebrated our nation’s birthday in Harmony — a small town along the Root River in southeast Minnesota, and apparently home to one of the largest 4th of July parades in the region.
Despite having a population of 1,000, Harmony seemed to attract at least triple its population in spectators from all over the Root River Valley and beyond as it hosted a four-day festival complete with pork chop fundraisers led by the local churches, a petting zoo hosted by the local 4-H, nearly 24/7 music in the beer garden and my favorite event: a nightly showing of “Let’s Have Harmony!” — a play about the founding of the town’s name, adapted from early town council meetings from 1895 and put on by a talented cast of local high schoolers.
Throughout the many festivities, one constant kept catching my eye: parade buttons. All over town, the many community organizers and event supporters sported them to promote the event — a symbol of the time, local funds, and care it takes to put on this major event year after year.
Outside of the 4th of July, the sacrifices and virtues laid forth in the founding of our Constitution may seem like an irrelevant past time — an action done and complete. We may think of ourselves only as the beneficiaries of a constitutional democracy, not necessarily as its preservers or safeguards.
I would argue that when we think of patriotism, we should think about those Harmony parade buttons.
Alexis de Tocqueville was a French philosopher who travelled to America in the 1830s and wrote a book titled Democracy in America. In it, he commented on what made American democracy, and the patriotism that animates it, truly unique:
“The strength of free peoples resides in the local community. Local institutions are to liberty what primary schools are to science; they put it within the people’s reach; they teach people to appreciate its peaceful enjoyment and accustom them to make use of it. Without local institutions a nation may give itself a free government, but it has not got the spirit of liberty.”
If we are to embrace what de Tocqueville found to be the secret sauce of American democracy, our primary allegiance must be first tied to the local level. That is, the majority of our attention ought to be directed to the wellbeing of our local places, and our understanding of issues informed by the needs of our local neighbors. Building the habits of caring for the places and people where we live help us learn what it takes to be good citizens of the nation, and the world, to which we also belong.
Because preserving our American values takes participation from each of us, not just our national politicians and military servicemembers. Patriotism looks like the Wabasha school district running an annual blood drive to raise scholarships for their high school seniors. It looks like the Faribault Chamber partnering with a Saudi-Somali-American entrepreneur to expand her child care business and invest in the wellbeing of their community’s children. It looks like civic groups, employers and everyday volunteers showing up to address hunger and food insecurity in Mower County.
It looks like communities utilizing our Small Town Grants (applications due August 28) and Taylor Rural Improvement Grants (opens September 8) to create more vibrant towns.
It looks like putting on our own version of Harmony 4th of July parade buttons.
As always, I welcome your comments and questions. You can reach me at benyak@smifoundation.org or 507-455-3215.
 
Benya Kraus is the President & CEO of Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation. She is the co-founder of Lead for America and served as the Network Advancement Director at Resource Rural.