But my patriotism goes for something beyond what we have. We

“But my patriotism goes for something beyond what we have. We don't have something that I want to die for – anymore.” Thus speaks Jack Bowman, a voice of lament, one who mourns the fading of ideals once cherished. In this cry is not hatred of country, but sorrow—a grief that what once inspired sacrifice, what once stirred men to march, to build, to die if need be, has grown hollow. Patriotism, in his vision, is not the blind loyalty to a flag or to the wealth of the present moment. It is devotion to something greater, to a vision so vast and so pure that life itself may be laid down for it.

The origin of such words lies in every generation where disillusionment rises. When leaders fail their people, when governments grow corrupt, when promises are broken and ideals are betrayed, men of conscience feel the gap between what patriotism ought to be and what it has become. Bowman's lament recalls this ancient pattern: the recognition that loyalty to a nation must be earned by the virtue of its ideals, not demanded by the inertia of its existence. He says, in essence, that one cannot die for mere survival or for hollow symbols—only for truth, only for justice, only for a vision that transcends the decay of the present.

History gives us a powerful example in the fall of Rome. In the days of the Republic, Romans were willing to die for the dream of liberty, for the survival of their civic virtues, for the dignity of their people. But as corruption spread, as emperors placed their own glory above the good of the people, patriotism decayed. Men no longer wished to give their lives for a Rome that had ceased to be the Rome they loved. Soldiers fought for pay rather than for principle, and the empire weakened. Bowman’s words echo this history: when ideals die, the people’s willingness to sacrifice dies with them.

Yet contrast this with the story of the American Revolution. Farmers, tradesmen, and scholars took up arms against an empire, not for what they already possessed, but for what they longed for: liberty, self-rule, and a future unbound by tyranny. They were willing to risk their lives because they saw in their cause something transcendent, something beyond survival. This is the patriotism Bowman mourns—the willingness to die not for “what we have,” but for a dream of what could be.

His words also awaken a warning: that a people who cannot find something worth dying for may soon find little worth living for. Patriotism becomes thin, reduced to slogans and gestures, unless nourished by ideals that reach beyond comfort and prosperity. A nation must constantly renew its vision, must keep alive the fire of justice, equality, and shared destiny, lest its citizens come to feel, as Bowman does, that the soul has departed, leaving only an empty shell.

The lesson for future generations is this: guard the higher meaning of patriotism. Do not let it be reduced to pride in wealth or power alone. Demand that it be tied to truth, to justice, to something that transcends mere possession. Ask always: is my nation living by its highest ideals? Are its people united by vision or divided by greed? Only when the answer is yes will men and women be willing to lay down their lives, not in vain, but for something eternal.

Practical actions flow from this wisdom. Work not only to preserve what exists, but to strive for what ought to be. Hold your leaders accountable, demand justice where it falters, and nurture a vision of your country that is noble enough to inspire sacrifice. Teach your children that patriotism is not empty pride, but devotion to truth greater than oneself. In this way, you can restore to your nation something worth not only living for, but, if called upon, dying for.

Thus let Bowman’s sorrow become for us a summons: “My patriotism goes for something beyond what we have.” Let us labor to build that “something”—a nation of justice, vision, and hope—so that future generations will not say, “There is nothing worth dying for,” but instead, “There is everything worth living and striving for.”