Michael: Alright Kevin, quick-fire. When you hear the name Dan Rather, what's the first thing that comes to mind? And you can't say "the news." Kevin: Okay... uh... a voice that sounds like it's narrating American history in real-time, probably from a comfortable leather chair. And maybe a really, really well-starched shirt. Michael: That's not far off! And that voice is exactly what we're diving into today with his book, co-authored with Elliot Kirschner, What Unites Us: Reflections on Patriotism. Kevin: A topic that feels... let's say, lightly charged in recent years. Michael: Exactly. And what makes this book so compelling is that it was published in 2017, right in the thick of intense political polarization. It’s not a political rant; it’s a reflection from a man who spent over 60 years on the front lines of history, from the Civil Rights movement to 9/11, asking: what actually holds this whole thing together? Kevin: That’s a heavy question. And coming from someone who’s seen it all, it carries a different weight. It’s not just theory; it’s testimony. Michael: It’s pure testimony. And he starts not with a political argument, but with a feeling. He asks, what does patriotism actually feel like? Before we get into the grand ideas, what’s the raw emotion behind it?

Kevin: That’s a great question, because I think for a lot of people it’s become a very complicated emotion. It gets tangled up with politics, with identity, with anger. What’s Rather’s answer? Michael: His answer is a story. It’s the early 1940s in Texas. His family has just scraped together enough money to buy a beat-up, rusty 1938 Oldsmobile. We're talking a car that had seen better days, patched up and barely running. But for them, it was a chariot. Kevin: I’m picturing it. The kind of car where you have to know its personality to get it to start. Michael: Precisely. And his mother gets this idea for the Fourth of July: a family trip to Galveston. This was a huge deal for them; they didn't have money for vacations. So they all pile into this old car in the blistering Texas heat. And to pass the time on the long, two-lane road, his mom has them sing. Kevin: Oh, I can imagine. "The Star-Spangled Banner," completely off-key? Michael: Absolutely. "America the Beautiful," Texas state songs, the works. They get to Galveston, see the ocean for the first time, play on the beach, watch a modest fireworks display over the Gulf, and then... they sleep in the car. They drive back the next morning, stiff and tired, but completely full of this sense of wonder. For Rather, that memory—the heat, the songs, the shared experience—that became the bedrock of his patriotism. It was a feeling of awe and belonging. Kevin: That’s such a pure, almost Rockwellian image. It’s about connection to the land and to family, not to a political party. But can that simple, unifying feeling survive in our hyper-politicized world? It feels like that kind of patriotism is hard to find. Michael: Well, that’s the central point Rather makes. He draws a very sharp line between that kind of patriotism and what he calls nationalism. He says patriotism, at its best, is a dialogue. It’s a conversation with your fellow citizens about what you love, but also about how to make the country better. It’s rooted in humility. Kevin: A dialogue. I like that. It implies listening is as important as speaking. Michael: Exactly. Nationalism, on the other hand, is a monologue. It’s rooted in arrogance. It’s the belief that your country is inherently superior and flawless, and it silences dissent. Patriotism says, "We can be better." Nationalism says, "We are the best, shut up." Kevin: That distinction feels incredibly relevant. It reminds me of the whole "flag pin" controversy that the book touches on. After 9/11, wearing a flag pin became this huge political litmus test. Michael: It did. And Rather brings up how Barack Obama, when he was first running for president, initially stopped wearing one. He said it felt like it had become a substitute for "true patriotism," which he defined as speaking out on important issues. The symbol had started to replace the substance. Kevin: Right, as if the pin itself did the patriotic work for you. And the backlash was immediate. He had to start wearing it again. It shows how easily a symbol can be weaponized. Michael: And that's where Rather brings in a warning from George Washington himself. In his Farewell Address, Washington warned against the "impostures of pretended patriotism." He knew, even back then, that people would use the language of patriotism for their own gain, to divide rather than unite. Kevin: So true patriotism requires a kind of critical thinking. It’s not just about feeling good; it’s about being vigilant against those who would exploit that feeling. Michael: It’s about being an active participant, not a passive spectator. And that idea of action over symbols brings us to the absolute core of the book's argument about freedom. It’s not something you just have; it’s something you do. And for Rather, the ultimate test of that was the fight for the vote.

Kevin: Okay, so we're moving from the 'what' of patriotism to the 'how.' How do you practice this active, critical love of country? Michael: For Rather, it starts and ends with the ballot box. But he didn't always see it with such clarity. He admits that growing up in a segregated Texas, he was largely blind to the racial injustice around him. The turning point came when he became a journalist. In 1962, CBS sent him to Mississippi to cover the Civil Rights Movement, and he met a man named Medgar Evers. Kevin: A legendary figure. His work was all about voter registration, right? Michael: Exactly. He was trying to get Black citizens, who were systematically and violently denied their rights, registered to vote. On Election Day, Rather followed Evers and a small group of African American men and women to a polling place. They were dressed in their Sunday best, holding their papers, ready to exercise their constitutional right. Kevin: I can feel the tension just thinking about it. Michael: It was palpable. A white voting official came out to confront them. Rather describes the official’s face contorted with rage, and he looked at these American citizens and said, with pure venom, "You aren’t voting today, you aren’t voting any day." Kevin: Wow. That's chilling. To witness that firsthand... the raw, undisguised hatred. Michael: It was a defining moment for Rather. He said in that instant, he understood the deep, profound sin of segregation. This wasn't a political debate; it was a fundamental denial of humanity and citizenship. And the story gets even more tragic. Just a year later, Medgar Evers was assassinated in his own driveway, shot in the back by a white supremacist for the crime of trying to help people vote. Kevin: That just puts the stakes in such sharp relief. We talk about voting as a 'duty' or a 'right' in such abstract terms. But people like Medgar Evers died for it. They were murdered for it. Michael: And Rather argues that the fight is far from over. He’s deeply critical of modern efforts that make it harder for people to vote. He talks about things like restrictive voter ID laws, which disproportionately affect the poor, the elderly, and minority communities. He talks about gerrymandering, where politicians draw district lines to choose their voters, instead of the other way around. Kevin: So he's arguing these aren't just political squabbles, but a direct continuation of that same fight he saw in Mississippi? Michael: That's his exact point. He says that in-person voter fraud, the supposed reason for many of these laws, is statistically nonexistent. These are barriers, plain and simple. And he has this incredibly powerful line: "To suppress the vote is to make a mockery of democracy." It’s a betrayal of everything people like Medgar Evers fought and died for. Kevin: It reframes the entire debate. It’s not about party politics; it’s about whether we truly believe in the founding principles of the country. Michael: It’s about whether we believe in the "promissory note" that Martin Luther King Jr. spoke of in his "I Have a Dream" speech. The promise of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all Americans. Rather argues that cashing that check begins with ensuring every single citizen has free and fair access to the ballot.

Kevin: So, when you put it all together, it seems Rather's message is that patriotism isn't about waving a flag or wearing a pin. It's about showing up—whether it's standing in solidarity at a precinct meeting like his father did, or ensuring every citizen can cast a ballot. Michael: Exactly. It's about closing the gap between the 'magnificent words' of the Constitution, as Martin Luther King Jr. said, and the reality on the ground. The book is a call to see patriotism as a responsibility, not just a celebration. It's the hard, constant work of making the country live up to its own promises. It’s a humble, hopeful, and deeply challenging book. Kevin: It really is. It doesn't offer easy answers. It just reminds you that the work is never done, and that the foundation of it all is empathy and participation. Michael: The book was widely praised for being a kind of 'tonic for our times,' a voice of reason in a sea of noise. And while some readers found his perspective to be left-leaning, the overwhelming response was that it was a necessary and hopeful call for unity. Kevin: It leaves you asking yourself: what's one small, concrete thing I can do this week to participate in that 'dialogue' Rather talks about? It could be reading up on a local issue, having a tough conversation with a neighbor, or just registering one person to vote. Michael: That's the perfect question. And we'd love to hear your thoughts. Find us on our socials and share one thing this conversation sparked for you. What does active patriotism look like in your community? Michael: This is Aibrary, signing off.