Being a patriot

"We used to look at environmentalism as a hobby for the high-minded. But conserving energy and living a "green" lifestyle is actually the most patriotic thing you can do today. It fights global warming, protects nature, shrinks our dependence on foreign oil and makes America a model others want to follow. Green is the new red, white and blue."

- Thomas Friedman

I came across this and I find it to cut right through to a definite truth. I am not saying any person can be perfect in their environmentalism. I am not myself by a long shot. A lot of the paths are too expensive for the average person at this time. Also, society can make things close to impossible sometimes.

That said, don't come singing to me about patriotism if you make no effort at all to conserve, protect and nurture our natural resources. Driving inefficient vehicles, promoting over-development, tossing cigarette butts on the sidewalk, not trying to recycle in even the smallest way, or not showing a genuine respect for life that is truly alive (that means forests, rivers, wildlife, etc...,) are all threats to the long-term health of this country (not to mention the planet). No terrorist can ever do as much damage to our way of life as we do each day ourselves by not being red, white, blue ... and green.