Am I a patriotic Australian?

Are you patriotic? What does being patriotic mean to you?

Up to just recently i have been a very patriotic Australian . I love the country I call home, it is such a vast varied land and seascape and in many ways we are truly the lucky country. Events over the past few years has taken away my rose coloured glasses view of my homeland. I am sickened by the racist views of some of my compatriots and saddened by the behaviour of some people who call Australia home.  The rise of the right wing concerns me. The popularity of the right wing is on the rise. I am sickened by both the anti Semitic views, the Bondi massacre and the treatment of our indigenous Australians. We pride ourselves as being a multicultural society,  but more and more a feel that there is great opposition to that multicultural element.

I long to be part of a nation that has said sorry to the past treatment of our indigenous people and a non racist inclusive society where peaceful values are at our core. A society where everyone is included and feels safe. I think we are very far off that mark.  I feel incredibly unsafe on our streets but know the best way to counteract that is to model peaceful,inclusive non racist behaviours and surround myself with good people with like minds. I hope the good people of Australia model that too, so we remain a lucky country