This is the week to wave Old Glory and sing the national anthem proudly as we celebrate Independence Day.

But beware of those among us who overtly display red, white and blue fervor the rest of the year, wielding their chauvinism as a weapon, questioning just how much you love your country if you disagree with them on public policy and dismissing you as not a “real American” for recognizing the country’s flaws.

In recent times, we’ve seen an uptick in gratuitous, obsequious, false patriotism, rooted in empty slogans and reflexive — not thoughtful — displays of bravado rather than heartfelt allegiance and love of country.

Far too many self-appointed “patriots” actually practice an ignorant, spiteful form of nationalism instead, believing that no other country could possibly be as great as ours and rationalizing our numerous transgressions.

Fanned by misguided Tea Party fervor, these America-first, America-only zealots wrap themselves in the flag — sometimes literally, in clothing inappropriately made of stars and stripes (so much for decorum and respect for the flag) — as if it were carte blanche for boorish behavior.

They proclaim love of country is exhibited in the absolute defense and embrace of the Second Amendment, typically above all other constitutional provisions, as a critical defense against a paranoia-imagined government takeover.

“Support our troops,” the loudest among us say, most never having served in the military and never actually doing anything to support our troops other than, perhaps, displaying a magnetic ribbon on their gas-guzzling SUVs and advocating international isolationism ironically coupled with aggressive exertion of force overseas.

“Close our borders and kick the Mexicans out,” shouts the particularly xenophobic faction, ignoring that the sweat and labor of immigrants (typically their grandparents and great-grandparents) is what made this country the leader of the industrialized world in the first place.

Some consider the U.S. Constitution divinely inspired rather than penned by mere mortals; some insist that America is exclusively a “Christian nation” for which the Bible is the ultimate guiding document for matters of state.

They throw around terms such as “liberty” and “tyranny” without any apparent appreciation for their meaning: They are mere buzzwords, dog-whistles to help them identify “us” and “them” in their quixotic quest to “take America back” from implied — but rarely explicitly stated — minorities, liberals, Muslims, Hollywood, welfare recipients and the Kenyan/socialist/America-hating President Obama.

Politicians pass their litmus test only by wearing American flag lapel pins and proclaiming “American exceptionalism” with religious ardor as justification for unfettered capitalism and disdain for international relations.

Popular media only fuel this chauvinism, knowing that displaying a digital American flag will appeal to and reassure the lowest-common denominator, to the point that in the lamentable run-up to the invasion of Iraq, every station displayed some version, and those of us who rightfully disputed the casus belli were deemed unpatriotic at best, traitors at worst.

Like most Americans, I truly love my country and the unparalleled opportunities it affords me, and I’m proud of our achievements as a nation. But I also see its flaws — often cloaked in our incredible wealth and national arrogance — and I want it to be better.

I don’t need to recite the Pledge of Allegiance or sing “God Bless America” in the seventh-inning stretch to be a patriotic American, nor does blind worship of symbols make one a patriotic American.

Insistence otherwise only brings to mind the words of Englishman Samuel Johnson, who noted back in Revolutionary times that “patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel.”

Steve Lipsher (slipsher@comcast.net) of Silverthorne writes a monthly column for The Denver Post.