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Proud to Be an American
When any one of us makes this claim—that we are proud to be an American—what does it mean? Do we still believe that it’s true? What did it mean to make such a statement 20 years ago? Ten years ago? Two years ago?
I do remember what it meant to me 20 years ago: I was proud that I lived in a country that lived by its Constitution; that our Founding Fathers miraculously created a document that has withstood the test of time; that we developed the strongest military in the world; that most other countries looked to us for guidance, for encouragement, for protection, even for our ingenuity. As a Jew, I felt protected not only by our government, but the people who made up our society, because we were founded on the principle of freedom of religion.
I could count on our government respecting the rule of law; that even though politicians and politics were looked at with skepticism, we trusted for the most part that our legislators would act responsibly. I knew that there was probably nowhere else in the world where I could get such advanced and ethical healthcare. The military was a place where young people could begin their adult life, if for no other reason than that they would learn discipline and take military service as a means to figure out their best destination in life—and that might, in fact, be the military. I could count on getting a good education from K-12 and beyond. I could fly the American flag with pride and honor and know that my neighbors were happy to support my allegiance to it.
But much has changed. Many of the circumstances that formed my beliefs and perspectives of what it meant to be a proud American have been tarnished. Their meanings have been twisted and abused. The military of which I was so proud is understaffed, under-armed, and tangled in a woke agenda. Our schools, rather than preparing our children for life, are propaganda centers that disdain the parents of their students. Religions of every denomination are being ridiculed. Many politicians have no qualms about lying about their statements, even when they are documented on video. Medical facilities and doctors are caught up in the politics of the COVID-19 pandemic and the practicalities of receiving vaccines. The labels “Nazi,” “racist,” and “white supremacist” are foisted upon foes without a second thought. We, the citizens of this country, are held in contempt by the elite, and I suspect those perceptions are applied to all citizens, no matter their political beliefs.
Given all these devastating conditions, am I still proud to be an American?
My answer is still, YES!
Although having pride in one’s country is an emotion and belief, it is much bigger than any single person and more powerful than any ideology. Our pride in America has been invested with over two centuries of blood, sweat, and tears. It has survived wars, political conflicts, and is strengthened by every person who embraces his or her citizenship. It becomes bolder every time we vote, serve on a community board, or help our neighbors. It thrives when we bake cupcakes for a school bake sale, speak up at a school board meeting, write a letter to the editor, and volunteer to tutor kids to read. Pride in one’s country doesn’t exist because of our love of a dream of what we once were. It is struggling to find its own freedom to thrive and transcend the difficulties and the flaws we are now experiencing. It doesn’t survive on only our prayers, but on our commitment to resurrecting not only what we have been, and even are today, but what we must become.
* * * *
Never forget who you are, whether you are a naturalized citizen or country-born. Never forget that you are part of the framework that sustains us and will move us forward beyond barriers and hardships. Never forget how our pride has been manifest in our history, our traditions, our structures, and our story.
I am proud to be an American. I hope you are, too.
[photo courtesy of unsplash.com]
Published in Culture
Stirring words Susan. They deserve to be read and spoken far and wide.
Susan, great post.
I have trouble answering this question “yes” anymore. Your post makes me consider why this is. I share your sense that we’re no longer the country that we used to be, and it’s sad. I do get the sense that a lot of people who call themselves “conservatives” feel this way, but I also get the sense that different “conservatives” have different views of what America used to be, or ought to be.
For quite a while, I’ve agreed with a metaphor for Leftist or Wokeist takeover of various institutions, that they are wolves in sheep’s clothing. This applies particularly to institutions like universities and newspapers. There’s a sense that the institution is nothing at all like what it used to be, but it still has the prestige associated with what it used to be.
In recent years, I have the sense that this metaphor applies to our entire country.
Yes, I’m proud to be an American. However, I’m more thankful . . .
I didn’t know if some people would have a negative reaction to the word “pride,” since it is warned against in some religious traditions. I’d be curious to know if there are different understandings of the word in certain contexts. I’d be happy to say “love my country” instead!
I am proud to be an American. America is the new Rome, a nation founded on ideas, not history. America is, objectively, the greatest nation in the history of the world.
I am grateful to be have been born an American.
I think pride is acceptable as long as it isn’t false or touted in arrogance. You can be proud of your child getting an A in math and not be in danger (“pride goeth before a fall”). The same goes for being proud you ran a mile in 7 minutes, 15 seconds (which I did in college) as long as you don’t think that makes you a great man or better than anyone else . . .
Yup. I always repeat what I heard Dennis Prager say – I won the lottery in life to have been born here.
Meanwhile, outside America one hears constantly that the USA is failing, is on the brink of civil war, is falling behind China, is racist, is undemocratic, is belligerent, is a theocracy, is the most violent country since WW2, etc, ad nauseum. Obviously, these things are said within America also by a certain type , but they are becoming received wisdom abroad. It’s all very tiresome and I don’t buy any of it. But sadly, it has reached the stage where many foreigners think people should be ashamed to be American.
Yes, Charles, they are invested in our losing hope. It is called envy, and it simply won’t work on those of us who know and love this country. I’m glad you stand by us.
Starting off I want to admit that I’m pretty fortunate in this day in age, basically all of my immediate family and even most of my extended family are pretty conservative. A good bit of the turmoil of today’s political landscape is relegated to clients and acquaintances, and it’s not even by design. That being said, there are a couple of black sheep that mingle in the herd. One of those sunkissed sheep is a nephew. To be fair to him, he’s kept his head down, I didn’t even know his particular leanings until relatively recently, though he’s still in his teens so where he’ll really land is still up in the air. Still, while they were visiting a while back I was in my shop with one of his older brothers (in their 20’s) sipping a little whiskey and talking politics/current events. This older brother and I are basically on the same page, though to his credit he’s not quite as cynical as his older Uncle. So, in walks this young lefty who tries to join the conversation and, despite the older brother’s best efforts, gets his arguments dismissed and treated rather impatiently by his Uncle (that’s on me, I have a new rule about such conversations and whiskey now).
Interestingly enough though, it sparked a bit of introspection. The boy had some pretty harsh criticisms of America, and at the time it raised my hackles and simpler teenage logic got squeezed out by a not so sophisticated grumpy old man. I’ve since apologized to the kid for my behavior but after a lot of reflection it dawned on me that I was defending something that didn’t exist anymore, at least not in America writ-large. I live in a relatively small city in Tennessee. I was born “here” (West TN), and despite the random dye-haired, Darwin fish emblazoned driving individual, it hasn’t changed much…but America has. After a lot of introspection it dawned on me that I’m really defending something that doesn’t exist anymore in the aggregate. The America I grew up in, the one that held its own against Soviet Russia, destroyed Iraq’s military in less than 48 hours, invented the internet and soaked up “peace dividends” didn’t exist anymore. His complaints, regardless of the “privileged” position he’s coming from, aren’t all nonsense. I love the “idea” of America, but more and more I’m figuring out that “America” isn’t what she used to be.
I would also say grateful
Which is why it is so sad to see all those who benefited from the system that helped so many want to destroy it with stupid monetary, energy and foreign policy.
The real killers are corporate heads pushing the ESG movement.
I have informed by investment advisor to get rid of anything that has blackrock ties, it is harder than you think
Sadly I am not sure I can say I am any more. Obama broke me. Biden broke me. My fellow citizens have broken me. The pandemic broke me. Etc. The Democrat Left have won and run the country. Their actions over the last few decades leave little to be proud of. It is obvious that my country’s government view me and mine as it’s enemies and will eventually lose tolerance and act accordingly.
I don’t blame you, John. But I guess I’m determined to not let any one person or group destroy my love of this country. At least not yet. As I said in the OP, a lot of people died to create this country, and I’m going to stand up for them.
Maybe the enclaves like yours will help us find our way into the future, Dave. There are clearly many small places like yours who still love this country. Maybe we somehow have to unite around them.
I am proud specifically because I define “American” in a manner I believe worthy of pride. Not perfect. Not even perfectible. But striving for liberty, accountability, and equal justice under law.
Even the Constitution refers to forming a “more perfect union”; the founders knew human nature well enough to know that perfection would not, could not, ever be accomplished.
Do you have to be proud of your country in order to love it?
Can you love a country without loving its people (Leftists included)?
What does loving your country mean if you don’t love all its people?
That is exactly how George Washington wanted it.
The Citizens of the United States of America have a right to applaud themselves for having given to mankind examples of an enlarged and liberal policy: a policy worthy of imitation. All possess alike liberty of conscience and immunities of citizenship It is now no more that toleration is spoken of, as if it was by the indulgence of one class of people, that another enjoyed the exercise of their inherent natural rights. For happily the Government of the United States, which gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance requires only that they who live under its protection should demean themselves as good citizens, in giving it on all occasions their effectual support.
The founders are criticized (sometimes rightly sometimes foolishly) for not doing enough to end slavery but both Thomas Jefferson and George Washington were on the money about religious liberty.
Also, I am unaware of any founding father who was into restricting the religious liberty of Jews.
I have read Shakespeare, George Orwell and Russian literature and the casual and vicious anti-semitism is a foul mark against so many great books. Reading George Washington’s, letter to the Hebrew Congregation in Newport, Rhode Island is like taking a bath when one feels dirty and grimy.
I myself do not have much religion but I am very happy for America’s pretty awesome history of religious toleration.
I would not be as deeply moved were I not semi-knowledgable about Western Civilization and its failings. The BLM movement doesn’t reflect that bigotry against religious and racial groups is the default setting of mankind. It is also the default setting of mankind to have lazy political leaders who want to use the system for their own gain and view the productive classes who are supposedly below them as cattle to be taxes.
Remember what is was like to be a poor Irish-immigrant or a black-sharecropper in America. Things weren’t great. Sadly, some poorer Jews and Southern Chinese from weren’t exactly greeted with a warm welcome in America. America has had a very rough history but the Irish, Jews and Chinese who were once othered are now largely middle-class or upper middle-class if not elite.
We are undeniably going through a rough patch right now in the U.S.A. and I feel it and I feel despair because I want my country to be more like George Washington than Joe Biden. But we don’t get to choose the times we live in. Lincoln and Frederick Douglass–continuing
continued— lived through horrible times but they still served America and America’s best principles.
Things aren’t great now but we still need to hold on to what is good and beautiful about America and grow new seeds in the soil of our history.
An inspiring comment, Henry. Thank you.
Amen
As dark as I get, I am unwilling to give up
Watching Kabul fall like Saigon and leaving our people behind , I loved my country still but liked it less.
Hopefully the day will come when your love is restored, Swanning.
A totally fair point. However take heart, Vietnamese Americans are some of the most patriotic people in the U.S.A. So are Persian-Americans who fled Iran once it became a theocratic-totalitarian state.
Even when America fails because of its weakness, people flee to America to live better lives.
I suspect I will keep a low profile until I am given no other choice. If I saw the Right actually fight back I might be interested but the Right is more interesting in tearing down its fighters more than actually fighting for beliefs.
Is it that? Or is it more like Lincoln’s frustration with McLellan’s incessant training of the Army of the Potomac which caused him to remark something like “if you aren’t going to use your army do you mind giving it back to me?”