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Proud to be an American?
Author: TriSec    Date: 07/02/2022 10:01:00

Good Morning, and Happy Independence Day!

Wait, whut?



The Second Day of July 1776, will be the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America.

I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival. It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more.

You will think me transported with Enthusiasm but I am not. -- I am well aware of the Toil and Blood and Treasure, that it will cost Us to maintain this Declaration, and support and defend these States. -- Yet through all the Gloom I can see the Rays of ravishing Light and Glory. I can see that the End is more than worth all the Means. And that Posterity will tryumph in that Days Transaction, even altho We should rue it, which I trust in God We shall not.


From a letter of John Adams to his wife Abigail; sent from Philadelphia on 3 July 1776. You can read it all here.

But as always, I digress.

When was the last time anyone was truly "proud to be an American". Never mind the lame-ass song. I mean true pride in our accomplishments as a society and a nation?

It's been a while, hasn't it?

Perhaps as a proof of the further decline of this country as a whole, recent polling by Gallup reveals some interesting insights to our collective thoughts on this Independence Weekend.



On the eve of July Fourth – our annual celebration of American independence (and fireworks!) – pride in being an American has hit a record low in new Gallup polling.

Fewer than 4 in 10 – 38% – of adults said they were “extremely” proud to be Americans, the lowest ever measure by Gallup, which has been asking the question since 2001.

The 38% of proud Americans is well below the average of 55% since the question has been asked. In fact, prior to 2015, Gallup had never found those expressing “extreme” pride lower than 55%.

The decline in extreme American pride is due, in large part, to marked declines among Republicans and independents.

While Republicans are still the group most likely to express extreme pride in the country, that number is now down to 58% – a steep drop from the 75% who said the same in 2019.

Among independents, just 34% said they were extremely proud of America today, compared with 41% who said the same in 2019.

That number among Democrats actually rose marginally over the last three years – from 22% to 26%.


But wait...there's more!


...the longer-term decline in trust in America – and the institutions that compose it – is not new.

We are in an era of declining trust in institutions – all institutions – that were once considered the bedrock of American society.

Take the Supreme Court. In 2001, 62% of Americans had favorable impressions of the nation’s highest court, according to Gallup. Twenty years later that number is at just 40% – and almost certainly will go lower in the wake of the Roe ruling.

The Point: All of these numbers point to a startling reality – the ties that bind us together as a nation are loosening with every passing day.


That is rather alarming and disturbing. As you are aware, it's a subject I've written about extensively over the years, what I have referred to in previous blogs as the "Balkanization of America". With each passing day, I feel that I have less and less in common with certain parts of the country. Many places are on divergent paths, and there can only be one outcome.

I have recently stopped flying my "Stars and Stripes". I am an amateur vexillologist, with a dual emphasis on what I call 'Flags of Discontinued Nations' as well as historic American flags. I had never suspected that one day the good old red, white, and blue may fulfill both spots in my collection, yet we seem determined to tear ourselves apart.

It's been 246 years since that memorable July 2 that John wrote to Abigail about. How many more of them might we celebrate in the future?
 

2 comments (Latest Comment: 07/02/2022 15:50:27 by Will_in_LA)
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Comment by BobR on 07/02/2022 15:38:57
Naturally, I blame the scorched-earth craven politics of the Republicans, but TFG really turbocharged it. With no common enemy for people of all stripes to unite against, we look to the our immediate neighbors with suspicion,

Comment by Will_in_LA on 07/02/2022 15:50:27
I fear that many people feel a disconnect with some of their fellow Americans.

Yet, for all of the country's problems and struggles, there has been much to be proud of in our history. Once, we landed on the moon, produced vaccines for polio, and openly struggled in our own history. Now, the exploration of the universe is an afterthought and a plaything for multi-billionaires, we have people arguing against science, and there are states that want to rewrite our history to gloss over slavery.

We must ask who we are and what do we want. Then we may be able to truly live up to our name of the United States of America.