Robyn Ochs
Speaker • Teacher • Writer • Activist
[The text, next to an image of the Statue of Liberty, reads:
On this 4th of July, a day when there is so much talk of
“patriotism,” here are some words written by my uncle, Phil Ochs in
1963:
“Here is a land full of power and glory;
Beauty that words cannot recall;
Oh, her power shall rest on the strength of her freedom;
Her glory shall rest on us all.
Yet she’s only as rich as the poorest of her poor;
Only as free as the padlocked prison door;
Only as strong as our love for this land;
Only as tall as we stand.”
Patriotism, to me, is not about blind and unquestioning devotion to
authority. It’s about taking responsibility for righting what’s wrong.
It’s about making this country the best place it can be for ALL of us.
It’s about protecting our rivers and our oceans and our streams. It’s
about protecting our air. It’s about advocating for the most
marginalized. It’s about standing up to those who would put their own
profit and gain before the greater good. Patriotism, for me, is service.
Patriotism is activism.]
Robyn Ochs 