What it Means to Be a Patriot in America: Redefining Patriotism After the Age of Trump
Image: Damon Winter / The New York Times
As we welcome a new president into the White House, we must also reflect on the lasting impact that Trump has had on the country. Even though Trump is no longer the president, the sentiments that fueled his supporters are still very much alive. In the last few weeks of the Trump administration, some of his most adamant supporters stormed the Capitol in hopes of stopping the certification process of the presidential election results that verified Joseph Biden as the new president. Many of the people involved in the failed insurrection referred to the events as an act of patriotism and a monumental day in American history. This event, however, left five people dead and many more with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. One of these people was Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who recently spoke out about the impact the events of that day had on her. The various reactions to the events that took place raise the question; what is patriotism in America and who gets to define it?
Surely, many Americans were horrified by what happened at the Capitol on January 6th, but it does not discount the thousands who supported the acts committed by the self-proclaimed “patriots”. Recently, polls revealed that national pride among Americans is at an all time low with only 42% of participants feeling “extremely” proud and 21% feeling “very” proud to be an American. Even among Republicans, a group that has historically prided themselves on overt patriotism, there has been a 9-percentage point decrease in participants who say they are “extremely” proud to be American. Hence, the insurrection might have been a desperate attempt to reinstill a sense of patriotism in the country through a president who arguably embodied it. The question now becomes: what does patriotism even mean anymore?
The meaning of the word ‘patriot’ has constantly changed throughout history; it was once actually a derogatory term. It has been used to describe a person who claimed devotion to one’s nation and government but whose actions or beliefs belied such devotion. In the modern era, being a patriot now has a positive connotation, associated with a love for one’s country. However, as polls have revealed, Americans are less likely to identify themselves as strong patriots. The term has evolved yet again to have a new meaning in American society, especially in the wake of Trump’s presidency.
Americans may be shying away from the concept due to their impressions of blind patriotism. Blind patriotism is characterized as an “attachment to country with an unquestioning positive evaluation, staunch allegiance, and intolerance of criticism.” In many ways, blind patriotism is something that is socialized in our primary education through a variety of exercises aimed at making the next generations equally, if not more patriotic. For example, having young children recite the pledge of allegiance every day may seem like a harmless activity, yet it instills a sense of blind pride for a country which they know very little about. Furthermore, many states have laws that make it mandatory for children to stand and recite it. Hence, children are taught to aspire to be a patriot under the threat of punishment.
This goes beyond the classrooms of primary schools, and stretches into aspects of social life. For example, the same principles are enforced through the tradition of playing the national anthem at domestic sporting events. Failing to adhere to the social norms during the national anthem leads to various repercussions. For instance, in protest of the many occurrences of police brutality against minorities and the rampant racial injustice in America, NFL 49ers star Colin Kaepernick chose to take a knee during the national anthem. This was met with tremendous criticism which ultimately led to his dismissal from the team. Another example of the consequences of blind patriotism happened most recently when Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks’ basketball team, decided to stop playing the anthem at home games. This led to an out-cry of personal attacks on Cuban and the NBA team for being anti-American and defaming a long held tradition. What does it say about a nation if it constantly requires outward displays of loyalty, from children in primary schools, to professional athletes, to everyone in between? Many Americans are comfortable with following patriotic traditions, but they might be hesitant about supporting American dominance without reservations. Perhaps the more innocent concepts of blind patriotism are used to segue Americans into supporting more dangerous beliefs like nationalism.
The rise of nationalism in America did not begin with the election of Donald Trump, yet his social media posts and speeches as president were littered with nationalist rhetoric. Nationalism is defined as a “loyalty and devotion to a nation” with an emphasis on putting its own nation’s interests and culture above others. Beginning with his inauguration speech, he promoted the message of “America first,” stating, “We will seek friendship and goodwill with the nations of the world, but ... it is the right of all nations to put their own interests first.” He also emphasized the message of having a complete allegiance to America, which he claimed to be the mark of a true patriot. Trump promoted his nationalist agenda under the guise of patriotism. For example, in a speech he gave in October of 2018, after professing his love for the nation and claiming that America has been “playing second fiddle,” he proclaimed himself as a “proud nationalist.” Thus, Trump’s continuous conflation of nationalism with blind patriotism could have caused confusion among his supporters. This can potentially explain why the participants of the insurrection at the Capitol felt that they were acting on behalf of their country.
Perhaps Trump’s nationalist agenda was a means of distracting his supporters and fellow Americans from the deep-seeded problems in America. After all, it is much easier to ignore the problems that plague this country than it is to put in the time, effort, and money into areas that would genuinely benefit the broader society. If politicians were to openly admit to the tremendous issues within this country, they would be forced to actually address them.
The nationalist ideas, particularly perpetuated during the age of Trump, stem from an inability to acknowledge the evils of our country’s history. If you are never forced to confront the atrocities that happened in your country, particularly the genocide of Native Americans and the enslavement of Africans, this makes it easier to take a position of such pride. The “whitewashing” of history has happened countless times in America, especially in the education system. Recently, an article from the New York Times reported that a school in Utah was allowing parents to opt their children out of the Black History Month curriculum. More subtle examples of “whitewashing” stem from teachers using censored textbooks that leave out harsh details about slavery or the mass killings of indigenous people, or that simply depict a more palatable version of the history of our country.
Taking responsibility, not individually, but as a country, could lead to a period of healing and humility. This does not mean that we should claim that each individual American is responsible for slavery or the mass murder of Native Americans; it requires a nuanced approach. Rather, it is the recognition that we all benefit or contribute to systems that were built on the foundations of slave labor and genocide. In Germany, for example, they educate children about the heinous acts that happened in their country and spare no details. My German father recounted a time when he visited a concentration camp as a young student while learning about the Holocaust. It was not as if the later generations of Germans had anything to do with the Holocaust, yet they were taught the brutal facts to make them aware of the horrible things that had happened in their country. My father also mentioned how the country’s national anthem was not played until many years later in his adult life. This makes for a certain level of humility in Germans that is absent in many Americans.
I think the key to reviving a new sense of patriotism is to educate people about the atrocities that happened in America and the flaws it still has today. I believe that there are many Americans who have a deep love for this country, but the system has made them blind to its inadequacies and overzealous of its achievements.
Admitting the flaws that America has today, including the lackluster primary education, expensive healthcare system, and extreme economic inequality to name a few, will allow for the possibility of improvements. Additionally, we must admit to the systemic racism that exists if we are to work towards making an equitable America. A blind and revering love for America does not improve the country, but makes it stagnant and as such, we must do better.
My hope for this country is that we develop a new kind of patriotism: one that does not require a pledge of allegiance by schoolchildren or belting out a national anthem at sporting events. It will be a patriotism with new traditions: one with indigenous land acknowledgments at sporting events, national holidays to honor more people of color, and maybe even a revised pledge of allegiance. It will be a patriotism rooted in an acknowledgment of our flaws, a humble appreciation of our strengths, and a conscious commitment to do better.