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You don’t have to wrap yourself in a flag to be a patriot was the message Friday given by retired U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Michael E. Dunlavey as Meadville celebrated America’s birthday.

“Wrapping yourself in an American flag is not a patriot. A patriot is being involved in your community,” he told the audience of about 200 people who gathered on the lawn of Diamond Park to celebrate American’s Independence Day.

Dunlavey, a judge in the Erie County Court of Common Pleas, is a Vietnam War veteran and has served in the military in many countries. Most recently, he was chosen by the Secretary of Defense to create and establish an interrogation center and holding system for al-Qaida, Taliban and other terrorists from around the world in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

He urged people to vote and to get involved in community activities, such as working in a Habitat for Humanity program, Meals on Wheels or others.

“A real patriot is not somebody who just whines, complains and obstructs and gets in the way. It’s somebody who comes up with a solution,” he said.

Tracing America’s roots back to the decision made to break away from England, he noted when it came to declaring independence from England, “one third wanted to be free from England; one third wanted to remain Loyalists or royalists; and the other third didn’t care.”

“It seems like the way it is today,” he offered, noting our nation was born of “ideals rather than coercion.”

Speaking about the war in Iraq, he continued, “We are in a war no matter what anybody says. It’s a war.”

At the same time, he noted, “As soldiers, we don’t debate what started it. Our job is to fight and win.”

Everyone who came to America came to make a better life for their family.

“We are a country of justice. We try to make it happen every day. We are not perfect,” he said, but noted that having traveled to every country in the world, “I have never seen a better place for it (justice).”