Authentic Patriotism: How to Restore America's Ideals---Without Losing Our Tempers or Our Minds

A provocative inspiring account of our neglected American ideals and the people who are living them today--and restoring our nations dream . Patriotism has become a loaded word: one that is wielded against people with whom we might disagree or whose cultural origins dont match our own. . But our founding fathers--Washington Jefferson Adams and others--saw patriotism as a dynamic force: an act of service in an evolving nation that defined its purpose by offering all people a better way of life. . In Authentic Patriotism author and award-winning journalist Stephen P. Kiernan explores the original ideals that have been lost in our current climate where war and economic turmoil have eroded our sense of civic obligation. Kiernan describes a nation adrift out of touch with its origins--and then introduces a range of inspiring people who have revived our national purpose by taking action: . - The out-of-work college graduate who led an economic and environmental renewal of her blighted home community. . - The retired executive who pioneered a revolutionary concept in health care for people without insurance. . - The minister who created a legendary choir with the goal of uniting children of different races genders and classes in one voice. . - The family who donated their daughters heart so that another might live. . These and other New Americans are profiled in a book that offers hope ideas examples and practical resources for readers who want to renew the American spirit.