SEPT. 11, 2020’s attack on the World Trade Center in New York City (Wikipedia).

Losing the Spirit Dept.: On Sept. 11, we annually observe the anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the United States.

We call it Patriot Day, but it’s sobering to come to know how many people have no idea what it means to be a real patriot.

At Tuesday’s meeting of the Garden Grove City Council, several speakers offered disheartening versions of a society that pledges “liberty and justice for all.”

They spoke of how dangerous Islam is, how likely Muslims were likely to cheat, kill and otherwise work to violently overthrow our democracy.

Speakers who — ironically, I feel – claimed “I’ve done my research,” produced “evidence” that immigrants to the U.S. who followed that faith were a great danger to this great nation.

That’s all a bunch of applesauce. By cherry-picking verses from a holy book, you can find some hair-raising passages but you can uncover that in the Old Testament of the Christian Bible as well.

This is a pluralistic democracy founded on accepting all religions, races, colors, political leanings, and favorite ball clubs.

People who can’t see that, who imagine enemies in their neighbors don’t understand what this nation is all about.

So, here’s the first rule of being a patriot in this nation: You can’t love America while hating millions of Americans.