In light of the recent political developments and dramas unfolding before our eyes, it may seem like our country has, in fact, lost its damn mind.

We’ve got presidential candidates either saying whatever ridiculous thought pops into their head or failing to follow even the most basic national security measures in regards to e-mail security. And the alternative to these two is another candidate that wants to make college tuition like doctor’s office lollipops. (See, I’m not biased. I'm not a big fan of any of the candidates.)

Regardless of your political stance or preference, we can all agree that there’s at least one candidate (who’s different for each of us) that we don’t want to win. “If ____ gets elected, I’m leaving the country” has been a popular response and phrase for some and you’d be surprised at how many different people I have heard say this. At first, I thought this was hilarious, but the more and more I heard people repeat this phrase the more horrified I grew.

Are people really so easily able to renounce their home country just because we’re going through tough political times?

Are people really so easily discouraged by the likes of one bad president being elected?

This wouldn’t be the first (and it surely won’t be the last) time that our nation has been misguided, mislead in its actions, or made mistakes. It’s also why, in my opinion, now more than ever, people should be patriotic.

We should be proud regardless of whatever tough and embarrassing times our country is going through politically, because now more than ever we need take an interest in our country.

To understand patriotism is to recognize that a “patriotic attitude is marked by an understanding of a nation’s history, accomplishments, and positive contributions to culture. Patriotism also recognizes a nation’s failures and negative influence.”

We are, and have always been been, a nation of great leaders and tremendous accomplishments and feats, but we have also been marked by poor choices and decisions of the past. However, we wouldn’t be the nation we are today if we backed down at the first sign of every struggle.

At the risk of sounding idealistic, if we want change, we the people, have to continue to push for it. And in the process we need to support and respect our country, not shrug our shoulders with a “well, it’s been real America, see you in another four years” attitude. Now this is an exaggeration of people’s plans at best, but it does comment on the current trend in lack of patriotism.

We need to continue to fight for causes we believe in. If a candidate that’s against a particular important issue gets elected, that just means that the presence of an opposing view point is needed and vital now more than ever.

We need to display and straighten our flags proudly and continue to say the Pledge of Allegiance, not because it was something we were forced to do in school, but rather because it’s something we should want to do out of respect for those that fought for our freedoms and rights.

We need to vote, vote, vote. For anything and everything. From presidential elections at the top to the smaller town council elections closer to home.

We need to educate ourselves and those around us on the issues that are important to us from both sides and from both angles.

We need to hold our media more accountable for respectable journalism on the issues and not the petty remarks and drama that unfold at the debate table.

We need to continue to support and uphold the democracy and freedoms that our forefathers and generations past have fought for and continue to work to change the things we feel are wrong.

And while we do all of this, while we dig our heels in for the next four years ahead, regardless of who is elected, we should be proud, because no one is going to swoop in and take care our country other than ourselves. That all comes down to us.