The whole thing comprises its constituent parts. The parts compose or make up the whole. The word means a choice between two equally unpleasant options. Do not use it where problem, difficulty, predicament or quandary would be more appropriate. An enormity is not a big thing, but a horrible thing, an outrageous thing, a heinous thing.
Patriotism has no necessary connection with it.
A sentencing hearing was set for Jan. 20. To face is to confront, to meet squarely, head-on, immediately. What Heidi Fleiss faces is the prospect of a particular sentence, a possibility . She will face the sentence at the moment the judge pronounces it. It is preferable in such contexts to say that a defendant could be sentenced to a particular term.