Democrats must shake off unpatriotic label, Tom Suozzi says

Democrats have a public relations crisis on their hands that they need to “change” now – the perception that they’re unpatriotic, Rep.Tom Suozzi declared in a new op-ed.“I love America.

Unfortunately, as we celebrate our nation’s 250th birthday, too many Americans associate those three words only with Republicans,” Suozzi (D-NY) wrote in a Wall Street Journal opinion piece published Wednesday.“Democrats need to change that,” he argued.Suozzi voiced several grievances he and other Democrats have with President Trump and the “nation’s current trajectory.” “Under President Trump, we’ve fallen short on income inequality.We’ve seen masked agents go head-to-head with U.S.

citizens.Our elections and voting rights have been attacked, while misinformation proliferates online amid bigotry, extremism and political violence,” he wrote.The congressman, however, urged those frustrated with the country’s direction not to let their concerns dampen their patriotism.“Despite all this, we should remain fiercely proud of the American system,” Suozzi continued.

“It has enabled the quest for ‘a more perfect union’, making possible the abolition of slavery, the rights of women and black Americans to vote, the protection of civil rights, the confrontation of religious, ethnic and racial bigotry and so much more.”He said patriotism doesn’t ask Americans “to whitewash the country’s shortcomings,” but to confront them while recognizing the ability “to correct our mistakes” in the US democratic system to make America better.“Democrats have long believed that America is great not because it is perfect, but because it has the capacity to become better.We must reclaim the language of patriotism, because our history teaches us that the most American thing any of us can do is help our great nation live up to the ideals charted by our Founders 250 years ago: liberty, equality, democracy and the rule of law.,” Suozzi wrote.“Patriotis...