The love and devotion one has for his country is patriotism. Patriotism can be expressed in many different ways; for instance, some people are patriotic all the time, some people display their patriotism through music, and some people are patriotic only when it is popular. Thus, some common types of patriotism that are executed regularly are popular patriotism, patriotism through music, and true patriotism.
Popular patriotism can be portrayed as the trendy thing to do. Some people are patriotic because everyone is doing it. For example, after September 11, many people were patriotic, not because they loved their country, but because they were doing what was socially acceptable at the time. For instance, some businesses put up signs that said they were for the war with Iraq or that they were praying for the troops. Some businesses truly did mean what they wrote. Nevertheless, there were other businesses that put the signs up solely because it was what their competitors were doing. Also, people will buy items that show patriotism to be up to date with society. In particular, people buy clothes on which is printed an American flag or particular phrases that show devotion to their country. Now, many people have forgotten about expressing patriotism and have gone back to believing that the war is far from their everyday lives. They have forgotten what patriotism really is, and they express it through material items.
Patriotism can also be expressed through how someone feels, like music. After September 11, many composers wanted to display their feelings and emotions for their country by writing songs. Country music has been the most prevalent of all genres of music for expressing patriotism through songs. Initially after September 11, it was Alan Jackson who sang the song "Where Were You (When The World Stopped Turning)." After that, there were numerous other songwriters and singers who quickly wrote and recorded songs to express their feelings about the attacks on America.