Patriotism - love it or leave it?

In a recent poll by Wall Street Journal it was found that the percentage of Americans that say patriotism is an important part of their lives has dropped from 70 percent to 38 percent. Religion also took a nose dive from 62 percent to 39 percent. Community involvement plummeted as an important part of life, from 47 percent to 27 percent, and having children went from 59 percent to 30 percent in importance.

Are these statistics surprising? Not really. I hear it all the time from people, that they are disillusioned and angry. Every generation seems to think that their “time” is the worst time. The past few years brought the pandemic, Iraq, financial crisis, Presidential elections and other politics, and gave people the idea that you will not be better off than your parents.

I grew up in a rather crappy era as well. Born in 1959 I remember the assassinations, Vietnam, crime rates that grew exponentially and cities that were destroyed by it. The energy crisis, wage decline and, oh yes, Watergate. Five years after the fall of Saigon, and the supposed coup de grace that would cripple American power and self-confidence, the nation elected Ronald Reagan and suddenly the glass was half full. Nine years later, the Berlin Wall fell and the United States of America was a world dominant superpower. Into the future we marched fearlessly, heads held high and three years later a nation elected Bill Clinton and we entered into the 1990s. A decade of relatively peaceful times, with prosperity and harmony just like the Age of Aquarius, (anyone under the age of 50 won’t understand that). Crime even fell by leaps and bounds.

American history is a tale of sporadic seizures of failures and complete disintegration that is followed by years of adjusting and renewing society.

In the 1980s and 1990s there was a growing patriotism and faith in America. It was a mature patriotism, a love for the United States even with its flaws and scars. The patriotism that came from these decades was an odd, somewhat complex one that made people want to understand more about the country they lived in. Desert Storm gave us back a certain degree of dignity and pride that had been lost during the tumultuous years of the 1960s and 70s. When more than 500,000 American troops were deployed to Saudi Arabia as part of Operation Desert Shield, the public support was evident. When Desert Shield turned to Desert Storm, the public backed our governments choices. The United States and 40 allied nations, including Arab nations, flew more than 18,000 air deployment missions, more than 116,000 combat air sorties and dropped 88,500 tons of bombs. After air attacks that lasted for six weeks, the ground campaign lasted only 100 hours before Kuwait was liberated. This was the first time the Air Force used stealth and space systems support capabilities against a modern air defense. By the end of 1991, Americans seemed to finally be getting over Vietnam and settling into a sense of global superiority. Americans began to regain their patriotism. However,

it is sporadic. As our nation celebrates it’s 247th birthday, it feels like we need to redouble our efforts to bring others over to our side. At a time when we should celebrate our country, thanking God for our many blessings and realizing how incredibly lucky we are to be American citizens, there are many that turn from the flag, from America. With the plethora of bad news flashing across our phone, tablet and television screens, love of country seems to have become difficult for many. With the civil unrest that has permeated our country the past few years, and the constant finger pointing at the White House as the harbinger of doom, it is understandable. National news stations like CNN, and Fox seem almost pleased by this decline in patriotism. There is no denying that politics has played a huge part in the decline of patriotism, but it didn’t start with any one president.

Love of country shouldn’t be a partisan issue, but so it has become. It’s a fact that College graduates, people of color and young people, as well as Democrats are the least proud to be American, according to several surveys.

We tend to take our beautiful country for granted, spotlighting its problems rather than its blessings, but there are millions across the world that look towards our shores as an excellent place to live compared to their current domicile. Every country has problems, ours is no different. Our freedom of speech is under attack as never before. Discrimination against people of color, handicapped and women is still a problem, but these are not issues unique to the United States.

Mark Twain once defined patriotism as “supporting your country all the time and your government when it deserves it.” Americans have always come together during times of crisis, but that comradery is dwindling. Sadly the folks that are blind to our country’s blessings can’t understand that America is much larger than the presidency. Elections matter, but presidents come and go; yet our country withstands the storms. In the 19th century, House speaker and secretary of state James G. Blaine once said, “There is no ‘Republican,’ no ‘Democrat,’ on the Fourth of July, - all are Americans. All feel that their country is greater than party.”

Personally, that kind of patriotism gives me a sense of identity and belonging. It puts me in a long line of Americans - dead, living and unborn. It breaks through the walls that separate one person from another and gives you a sense of community, diverse, yes, yet something to be treasured. My love for my country is a force to be reckoned with. I love those that serve her, in government, military and beyond. For those of us that remain proudly patriotic we must make an effort to bring friends, colleagues and relatives who have grown embittered with our troubled, yet magnificent country, back around to be proud Americans. No nation can thrive if too many of its citizens no longer love it.

In all my years as a Navy wife, I never left the United States, but my husband did and so did many of my friends. When asked what their favorite country is, the answer was always the same: There is no place like the United States of America.