There’s been a lot of talk about patriotism lately, and how steadily its levels have dropped in contemporary times. An article by Farahn Morgan pointed out that Gallup polls have shown a 20% decrease in respondents who are “proud” or “very proud” to be an American over the last 22 years.
The specifics of the polled question are important. The respondents were not asked if they’re proud of everything the nation has done, or is currently doing; nor whether they’re proud of every person or policy (we all have experienced certain specific actions by our country of which we’re not proud). They were asked about being an American. In the context of global politics, their negative perceptions show a tremendous lack of understanding and vision.
Nothing in our world is perfect. Anyone with children or pets can attest that they all have strengths and weaknesses that require different types of care and attention, but we love them all equally regardless if some are more challenging. We nurture their expression and celebrate their individuality, even when it occasionally rubs us the wrong way, in service to the bigger picture of family. This is instinctive, not taught, and it is also necessary for a family to overcome the inevitable trials with which life presents us.
People are failing to recognize how this family approach applies on a national scale. Whether we agree on current events or not, the fact that we are free to express our agreements/disagreements is a concept rooted in America. Were it not for our Revolution, the world would still be ruled by monarchs. Our system set an example that showed the world how such a thing could be possible and sustainable, and many countries followed suit; today, much of our planet is run democratically. That in itself should be a source of considerable pride.
Disagreements are disheartening, but we’ve become entitled over our ability to voice them. Do prideless Americans really think there are better alternatives? Most countries are either theocracies, dictatorships, or democracies. I have to assume that those who are devoid of national pride wouldn’t prefer the theocracies or dictatorships, so we’ll remove them right away. Of the democracies that remain, do these people assume there is no disagreement or dissent in those places? No two people think alike, so in what fantasy world is there a country with tens - or hundreds - of millions who do?
Some people pick and choose select policies which they feel some other place does better than we do. Of course that happens, no argument there. Nobody is suggesting that we shouldn’t continually strive for improvement - there are great things to emulate throughout the world, not just here. But do they believe the reverse doesn’t also apply?
Would living in Scandinavia for its healthcare, or France for its libertinism, shield us from their shortcomings? Apparently not, since those places experience mass protests as well - Scandinavia has cracked down on immigration, and France is on the verge of implosion as this is written. We might not see the challenges present in other places, but the folks living there sure do. If we were truly fascist, as many proclaim, those same individuals would never be able to even share their complaints. Ask anyone who lived in Mussolini’s Italy.
America is the greatest country that has ever existed, and it’s not even close. Its founders literally wrote the book on expressive freedom and self-government. Our differences stem from misinterpretations of that book, not the book itself. Every country has divisions in how laws are interpreted, but not every country has built-in means for societal change. Those who do experience the same internal conflict that we do when ideals clash, so any idealistic thought that someplace else is “better” is pure folly.
There are myriad things we can do, and have access to, in America which are inaccessible in other countries. Conversely, most of what other countries can provide is just as available here. We enjoy all four seasons, from tundra to the tropics and everything in between. We have spectacular cities and vast countryside, deserts and forests, suburbs and small towns, mountains, and oceans. We have paved roadways, safe and evolving building codes, and mostly sturdy infrastructure.
We have a military that has mostly deterred war on our lands (from outside invaders) since the War of 1812 - no small feat, but often overlooked by critics. Our people and natural resources give us the greatest ability to self-sustain of any country if it ever becomes necessary. And we’re rivaled by few others in terms of outside need for our help. We commit vast resources to other nations, usually with little in return. Focusing on instances of greed can’t hide our mostly charitable philosophies as a country.
The Framers’ vision transformed the United States from a vast wilderness with roughly 3 million people (Europeans and Native Americans combined) into a thriving, world-leading, multicultural landscape of over 330 million people in less than 250 years. That growth was not just a result of internal procreation but was also fed from the mass influx of people from around the world who sought a better place to live.
Should that fact not inform our levels of pride? Our country has been the most sought-after location by the rest of humanity since its inception, and it continues to be, as millions are still yearning to get here.
I disagree with many stances of many people. I’m not special, because so does everyone else. But I’m proud to live in a country where those disagreements are acceptable. Our ability to openly disagree should be celebrated, even when the chips don’t fall our way. Nation-level freedom isn’t defined as always getting our way - if it was, we’d be 330 million separate nations of one.
Politics are cyclical, and society evolves generationally back and forth through varying degrees of liberal and conservative values. Our system allows for the breathing room to adjust to those evolving values so that each generation is unique compared to those who preceded them.
We try to balance the security of core values with the expansion of contemporary freedoms. We celebrate diversity while maintaining our right to hold onto what we believe works best for each of us. If we want change, there are avenues to travel on to pursue it. And if we fail, we can try again at a time when society comes more in line with the change we seek.
That is freedom. That is what makes America unique. This is why we should all count our blessings and be proud to be American.
And that is why patriotism matters.
Zephareth Ledbetter is the author of “A White Man’s Perspectives on Race and Racism”, available as an ebook at smashwords.com/books/view/1184004, and can be reached on Facebook and Twitter
Wrong Speak is a free-expression platform that allows varying viewpoints. All views expressed in this article are the author's own.
You are equating pride with patriotism. They're not the same.
Some of the people who feel less pride than they did 20 years ago feel that way because of the actions of some of their countrymen and how they reflect on their country, not because their own dedication to their country has changed.