The definition of the word patriotism is one to be questioned, or pondered over. If you ask any random citizen on the street what patriotism means, you will get a variety of answers. Some answers will probably come as a shock to you. Since the September 11th tragedy, the word has been used countless times, and has derived new definition in the eyes of many American people. In the article "Saying Goodbye to Patriotism" by Robert Jensen, he gives his own two definitions of patriotism, and questions what patriotism means in our modern day society. He writes about how Americans use the word to console deep wounds, and to place the United States of America on a pedestal. In my opinion, Jensen's purpose to writing the article is to open the eyes of public and make them rethink, or even re-invent, the word patriotism. This paper is a textual analysis of Jensen's "Saying Goodbye to Patriotism", and it looks closely for hidden meanings that may not have been picked up by a reader the first time. I am going to argue for my opinion of Jensen's purpose, in order to provide a deeper understanding of the article. I will discuss how he uses specific terms, and their different meanings, to undermine the meaning of patriotism. Then, I will establish how Jensen connects to his audience, through his speech, to make them realize that patriotism should be re-thought, or even abolished.
             The most common word throughout the piece is patriotism, yet I find myself reading multiple definitions. Jensen's first definition of patriotism is found early on in the reading; in fact it is the heading of a section. "Definition #1: Patriotism as loyalty to the war effort," means that the word is used in order to gain support for military causes. The government and media come together to influence the people, and say that it is the duty of the public to be patriotic. "We were attacked. We must defend ourselves....