There are few times in one’s life when Americans are asked to put aside our political and ideological differences and pull together as a country. I believe that  this current financial crisis is one of those times.

I’m confused, though, about some of the things I’ve heard and read; and it raises for me a very important question: What’s a patriot to do?

I am a patriot and I love my country. Sure, there are plenty of ways it could be better and fairer, offer more opportunities, and shine brighter as the beacon of global leadership and innovation. Just as parents love and nurture their children and want them to reach their full potential, I feel it is my duty to try and help my country do the same.

Last week, though, when Joe Biden suggested that the wealthy should pay more in taxes because it was the patriotic thing to do, John McCain and Sarah Palin mocked and ridiculed him for it – while standing behind a lectern emblazoned with the words “Country First.”

When did it become unpatriotic to suggest sacrificing for your country, especially for those that have benefitted so greatly from the opportunities that America provides? Generations that have come before us have sacrificed so that we can thrive – and not just on some battlefield – but financially, practically and personally.

We’re at war on two fronts, our infrastructure is crumbling, our education system is an embarrassment, millions of fellow Americans don’t have access to healthcare, our friends and neighbors have had their jobs outsourced overseas, and our economic system teeters on the verge of collapse.

What does this “Country First” crowd do in response to all of this? Anything they can to give less back. Whether it’s hiding profits offshore to avoid paying taxes on them, deregulating markets to expose investors to even more risk (and themselves to more profit) or relentlessly lobbying for larger tax cuts; it looks less like patriotism and more like “Me First.”

Now, I’m sure someone will try and convince me of the wonders of the free market and trickle-down economics; but take a look around: The only thing trickling down is a pervasive anti-tax mentality and contempt for public servants. Americans love everything their country has to offer, but ask them to sacrifice an extra three percent for it and they’ll run you out on a rail. Is it any wonder that such a political system attracts the greedy and corrupt individuals that have run our great nation into the ground?

Is this what patriotism has evolved into? Blind support of anyone that promises to never ask you to sacrifice?

Over the next few weeks, we will have to take a sobering look at the consequences of the last two decades’ financial freewheeling. And yes, one way or another, we will be asked to pony up for it. When the time comes, I urge every American to resist the temptation to sling mud at one party or another, to point out some slanted example of abuse, or to focus on “what’s in it for me?” Instead, simply ask yourself one question: Are you a patriot?

What’s a patriot to do?