Terra Rubra Lions Club District 22W 2010 Patriotic Essay Contest

Winner, Lions Club Member Category

Patriotism and Lionism --
Can I Become a Better Person by Combining Both? by Lion Larry Gray, Terra Rubra Lions Club

Before we consider that question, it would be worth a moment to consider what a patriot is (and for this discussion let's assume that by “a patriot” we mean “an American patriot”). One popular picture of an American patriot is that of a person making the declaration, “My country, right or wrong.” It’s simple, direct, and easy to remember. It’s a phrase that leaves the speaker with no doubt as to what they stand for. Indeed, it sometimes saves the person saying it the burden of thinking at all, and it is there that the danger lies. The patriots who brought about the birth of America did not believe that “right or wrong” was good enough. They believed instead that the new nation should be founded upon higher principles, that there was no room for “wrong” anywhere in the young country. They also realized that the achievement of those higher principles could not be brought about simply by words, but would also require effort, and sometimes sacrifice. Let’s call that ideal, “My country, right or better.”

Likewise, one popular picture of a Lion is that of a person making the declaration, “I’m a Lion. We serve.” It’s simple, direct, and easy to remember. It’s a phrase that leaves the speaker with no doubt as to what they stand for. But Lionism, like patriotism, can accomplish nothing by mere words. Just as patriotism must be expressed through effort, and sometimes sacrifice, so too must Lionism be firmly founded on actions. Just as American patriots should work to improve our country, so too should Lions work to improve the lives of our neighbors. Let’s call that ideal, “My community, right or better.”

We must also consider the questions of whether one can be a patriot without being a Lion, or if one can be a Lion without being a patriot. Certainly there are many in America who work tirelessly for the betterment of our nation, and not all are Lions. Just as certainly there are many Lions in the world who work tirelessly for their neighbors, and not all are Americans. It is clear, then, that you can be one without being the other. A good Lion does good works, but is not necessarily an American patriot. A good American patriot does good works, but is not necessarily a Lion.

So, can I become a better person by combining Lionism and patriotism? By being a Lion, my works improve the lives of my neighbors, whether they are neighbors in my local community, or neighbors in the world community. By being an American patriot, my works improve my country, and thereby improve the world. So by combining my works as a Lion and as a patriot, I am striving for that highest of ideals: “My world, right or better.”

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