Patrio-country?

Through the guidelines of patriotism, would an individual’s patriotism have to be anchored in the country the individual was born in?
 
Through our discussions this week we’ve made an attempt to define the idea of patriotism.  Like most things, patriotism can be extreme or mild. Some believe that patriotism means to be a total supporter of your country whether it is right or wrong, "my country is the best!"  Others believe that it is important to support your country and believe it is a good place but that it is also important to point out the wrong and do something to change it.  Regardless of what side of the spectrum you're on, is it crucial to dedicate yourself to the country you are born in or can you have patriotism toward a country you were not born in?  

After pondering for a bit, I don't really see a reason why an individual wouldn't be able to be patriotic towards a country they were not born in.  Say someone was born in the United States and decided one day to travel.  This person travels to Russia and absolutely falls in love with the culture and the way the government functions.  This person gets up and moves the Russia.  Now that this person lives in Russia, they are completely involved with country.  This person would agree if asked if they were patriotic towards Russia, and I would agree that they were and that the definition of patriotism fit with them well. 

Response to Kennedy's "Nature vs. Nurture"

I agree with the notion of continuing research on the Nature vs. Nurture debate.  It would be very beneficial to know more of the facts to ensure that we can focus on more on either the development of the child or the way the child is raised.  However, in the mean time, I believe it is very crucial to focus on both the development, keeping the mother in good health during pregnancy, and the raising on the child, helping the child understand and learn.  Until we are aware of which, nature or nurture, is the actual winner of defining an individual we should treat both equally as in important.