The groups for whom patriotism is falling are far from shocking.
The Fourth of July, America’s Independence Day, is a reminder of the fight for freedom from British rule. Since the first anniversary, this day has been honored with parades, barbecues, and time spent with friends and family. Cities and towns decorate streets with flags and colorful banners. Children run around waving miniature flags. Fireworks light up the sky. But that tide may be changing. According to a new poll, many Americans are losing their national pride.
The Decline of National Pride
A new survey by Coupon Follow, a website that helps users find coupons, found that one in three Americans don’t plan to celebrate the Fourth of July this year. Most of the responses cite a loss of national pride as the reason; 46% of respondents said they didn’t feel patriotic, and 44% said they feel disconnected from American culture right now. A quarter of the people opined that the holiday doesn’t feel inclusive to them.
A recent Gallup poll showed similar results and broke it down even further. It found that Democrats are the most responsible for the drop in national pride this year, with just 36% saying they are “extremely or very proud” to be American. Last year, that response was almost double. This is only the second time Democrats’ pride has fallen below the majority level, Gallup reported. The first time was in 2020 – the last year of President Donald Trump’s first term, during the rise of the coronavirus pandemic, and just after the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officers.
Results from the survey “are from a June 2-19 Gallup poll conducted before the June 21 U.S. military action in Iran. It is unknown whether Americans’ national pride has been affected by that action,” Gallup explained.
Democrats aren’t the only political party to show a loss of national pride; independents have also reached a low point of 53%. Republicans, on the other hand, maintain a high level of pride this year, coming in at 92%.
“At the beginning of the 21st century, U.S. adults were nearly unanimous in saying they were extremely or very proud to be Americans,” Gallup concluded. “But that national unity has eroded over the past 25 years due to a combination of political and generational changes. Democrats today are much less likely than in the past to express pride in their country; in fact, their national pride has hit a new low. Additionally, Generation Z and millennials are much less proud of their country than their elders are.”
What is causing this decline in national pride? Is it because of one man, one president, who inspires his supporters but stokes fear and derangement syndrome among others? Or could it be because of progressive movements – tearing down historical statues, protests that turn violent, burning and destroying private businesses – that have eroded patriotism in the younger generations? Liberty Nation News National Security Consultant Dave Patterson had this to say:
“If, by doing these despicable things, they believe they are somehow mortally wounding the ideals for which America stands, they are misguided and have failed to learn from our country’s history. Do they think they are the first to take on and disparage patriotic Americans of goodwill? More than a testament to the silly and intellectually feeble, these acts are also a warning that liberty taken for granted becomes a victim of tyranny in short order with no easy recovery.”
Independence Day is about celebrating our hard-won freedom, so today, let’s remember the importance of national pride in honoring our ancestors and all those who continue to fight for America’s liberty.
Happy Fourth of July!
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