Since this page is about to-the-point common sense:

"Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, Give me Liberty, or give me Death!"

~Patrick Henry

I can think of nothing more depressing and wretched than to fail to at least try to live up to these words - - if not for yourself, at least for the sake of your beloved friends, family and descendents.  Defeat, resist, or at least defy evil to the end.  My ancestors, kinsmen and countrymen, faced occasionally with overwhelming odds, no prospect for victory and little chance of survival, would shout "Donough ABU!!" and then charge the pikes and axes.  Clan Donough defies you!

The ancient Laws of Chivalry were written slightly differently in each principality.  But they all include an exhortation to the effect that "Thou shalt be, everywhere and at all times, the champion of right and good and the foe of injustice and evil".  Even if all you can do is glare at the enemy, glare hard!

• Thou shalt believe all that the Church teaches, and shalt be faithful to its directions.
• Thou shalt defend the Church.
• Thou shalt constitute thyself the defender of the the poor, the weak and the helpless.
• Thou shalt love the country in the which thou wast born.
• Thou shalt not recoil before thine enemy.
• Thou shalt make war against the wicked without cessation, and without quarter. 
• Thou shalt keep thine arms and thy self prepared and postured to do thy duty.
• Thou shalt perform scrupulously thy master's will, if it be not contrary to the laws of God.
• Thou shalt never lie, and shalt remain faithful to thy pledged word.
• Thou shalt be generous, and give largesse to everyone.
• Thou shalt be, everywhere and all times, the champion of the Right and the Good and the foe of Injustice and Evil. 

Only a fool would believe that Christian Knights (or anyone else, since the Crucifixion) lived up to all of these ideals all of the time.  Perhaps most of them managed to keep most of their vows most of the time. Everyone needs to rest and to laugh at times, and then there are poor judgments, weak moments and failures.  America, not being a precinct of Heaven, is also far from perfect, but Americans have almost always tried to do their best, even when that was not very good.  Generally, it has been far better than the efforts or even the official policies of other nations.  Nearly all Americans have always wanted to live up to their songs, their stories, their heroes' examples and their families' visions of them.  They have never built shrines dedicated to, nor taught their children to chant, "Death to" anyone.