Patriotism especially important in current political climate where it's 'demonized,' says Lara Logan

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Patriot Award attendees share what it means to be a patriot

Attendees of Fox Nation's Patriot Awards explain what patriotism is to them.

As patriotism has fallen out of vogue among mainstream media and the liberal elites, recognizing those who have pride in America through programs like Fox Nation's Patriot Awards has become especially important, Fox Nation host Lara Logan said. 

Logan, who presented Lt. Col. Scott Mann with the "Heroism" award at the Patriot Awards, told Fox News Digital that patriotism is "about loyalty to your country and to everything that it means." 

"There is no country in the world that comes close to the U.S. as a symbol of freedom," Logan, a South African immigrant, said.

But, Logan said, the concept of patriotism has unfairly earned a tarnished reputation in the United States. 

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"We have, unfortunately, entered a political age where patriotism has been demonized and equated as being indistinguishable from nationalism or White supremacy," she said. "And that is a lie." 

"Unfortunately, there are people who don’t believe in America who seem to be really anxious to see the end of this country," she continued. 

Particularly among Democrats and left-wing media, the concept of patriotism has been demonized. 

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Over the summer, New York Times editorial board member Mara Gay said she was "disturbed" to see "dozens of American flags" on Long Island over the Fourth of July. 

A 2020 piece by Slate Magazine called for liberalism to be made "great again" by liberals around the world taking back patriotism from "right-wing authoritarians," who it argued had claimed it as their own. 

Earlier this year, sportswriter William Rhoden said on "CBS This Morning" he had enjoyed covering the Olympics during his long career, but felt differently now, pointing to how many "American flags" he saw at the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. 

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Over the Fourth of July, the New York Times proclaimed that the American flag was a "symbol of unity that may no longer unite." 

Because of this sentiment, Logan said events like the Patriot Awards, which would have been a "nice event" in the past, have become increasingly important. 

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"Patriotism and standing up for the American idea has taken on a whole new meaning … because it’s under threat and it’s being disparaged and discredited and dragged through the mud from here to Timbuktu," she said. 

Logan acknowledged there are issues in the United States that divide Americans, but they are not nearly as strong as the things that unite. 

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"What [patriotism] really stands for is a reminder to all of us that what unites us as Americans is much stronger than anything that divides us," she said. "There is no greater ideal in human history than the ideal of freedom and the right to live as free men with free will." 

Fox Nation's Patriot Awards will be airing on Fox News Channel at 10 p.m. ET on Sunday, November 20. 2021. To stream the awards, subscribe to Fox Nation. 

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