by Last week while driving around town I happened to listen to a NPR report regarding a poll asking whether people were proud to be an American. The NPR/PBS News/Marist poll was done in mid June. I presume that the release was timed for the run-up to Independence Day and America’s 250th birthday.
A majority of Republicans and independents said they were proud to be American. By contrast, less than half of the Democrats surveyed were proud to be American.
I have to say I am profoundly disappointed in the results of this poll with regards to the Democrats. I don’t know if it is their hatred of President Trump, Trump Derangement Syndrome, government policies, or what but being an American is so much more than the government.
I grew up a Democrat. My mother was an ardent Democrat and active at the grassroots level in Democrat politics. Her Uncle Tom had served in the New York State Senate on the Tammany Hall line in the 1920s. By contrast, my father grew up a nominal Republican even though he was a native North Carolinian. However, he was born and raised in an area of the state, Randolph and Montgomery Counties, that was anti-slavery and wanted no part of the Civil War. The late historian William T. Auman wrote of what he termed “the Quaker Belt” (#commission earned) which included not only Quakers but anti-slavery Methodists such as those where my father was born.
I have lived through 13 presidencies starting with Ike. There have been six Democrats and seven Republicans who have served as Presidents during that time. By my calculation, I have lived under Democrats for 32 years and Republicans for 37 years. Somewhere along that timeline, I switched my allegiances and party affiliation from Democrat to Republican as it more closely resembled my values.
There were Democrats I liked and Republicans I detested and vice-versa. I still can tell you exactly where I was when I listened to Richard Nixon’s speech announcing his resignation as President. Nonetheless, no matter how much I may have disagreed and even detested the politician who was President, I never stopped being proud of being an American.
I have traveled to 46 out of our 50 states as well as a dozen foreign countries. I have met good people everywhere from coast to coast and everywhere in between. They are what makes America and not the temporary residents of offices in Washington and the state capitals.
We have been blessed as a nation with unbelievable freedom, plentiful natural resources, unparalleled scenic beauty, and the spirit of innovation and industriousness. Our recent visitors from around the world for the FIFA World Cup have been awed by what they’ve experienced.
We, of course, also have our problems which I cannot ignore. There are things in our history that have been shameful such as slavery which almost tore our country apart with the Civil War. Despite all of this, we have persevered, corrected our mistakes, and moved forward.
To conclude, I will say to the day I die that I am proud to be an American.