To my mind, the Fourth of July has a lot going for it compared with other holidays: great food without a lot of work, warm weather, no presents, and fireworks. And, in our house, at least, there’s the special moment when we read out loud the Declaration of Independence and follow with a toast (American sparkling wine, of course), “To the United States of America!” And I have to force back tears of pride at being an American. This is my own distinctive experience of what we call “patriotism,” and I suspect that many Americans experience something similar, and acknowledge it in their own ways. Amid the frequent confusion, frustration and anger of our political disagreements, patriotism — a deep-seated love of our country — remains something that has the potential to bring us together, particularly at times of national crisis or triumph.
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/07/03/is-our-patriotism-moral/?ref=opinion