How patriotic is American patriotism?
By: Riley Duignan
Opinion
When I say “American” I am talking about the United States alone, due to the fact I’ve barely been to any other country in the North American continent.
Our patriotism looks like red white and blue plastered on our faces and clothes, fireworks at night, hot dogs and burgers being grilled. Though many Americans are still so proud of their country, I’m not. I’m embarrassed that we bud our heads into every little international affair and make it escalate, or its suppression of POC voices, or its constant and open conservatism of gay rights, or its constant repression of women’s bodily autonomy. Of course every country has its issues, which the U.S. is just one of many, but that doesn’t erase the issues present. Boomers and Baby Boomers grew up with the American personification of Uncle Sam, making sure communism didn’t seep into the walls of the U.S., and making sure any diversity and people of color were silenced, and of course needing labor of immigrants but not acknowledging it was their labor. They grew up with such strong patriotism, and as they get older you see the consistent rejection of any American criticism or anti-U.S. rhetoric. They grew up with the censored version of history, that slavery ended in 1865, that Native Americans were deadly to colonizers; and even as I say that out loud what an oxymoron that whole sentence is. They grew up with such patriotic rhetoric, and of course they had their share of social revolutions like the sexual revolution, they also seem to be so patriotic that saying “I’m going international for college” seems like you’re practically saying you hate the United States and hope it collapses as a country.
But haven’t we learned that criticizing one’s government is patriotism? The United States is only so “politically developed” because of the people who disagreed with the government, and the people who protested against corrupt systems. If Americans don’t criticize their government, what will it become? Both “The Guardian” and “Scientific American” predict that the U.S. is heading toward a dictatorship; if we don’t protest against that, what will become of the U.S.? Its people are the most important, the more you challenge your government, and the more you wish for the best for the majority of U.S citizens, thats the most patriotic thing i think you can do.
American patriotism to me has such a superiority complex. Which is not a new phenomenon, it’s called “American Exceptionalism”. And quite frankly is built on the idealism that the United States is the model of the world. Of course I believe that independence, uniqueness, and freedom is very important, but this idea of superiority creates another phenomenon of “blind patriotism”, and blinds many from actual systemic and social flaws within the country. Of course it’s great that we legalized gay marriage finally, but lets not forget that there is still blatant and outward violence and discrimination against LGBTQ members and law makers that are actively pushing in several states to illegitimize gayness and make things like the “Don’t say gay” laws; because they’re scared of gay people pushing their ‘agenda’ as much as the straight agenda is pushed. Like stated above, that’s exactly what many boomers and baby boomers do, and of course it is because of their upbringing and strong pro-american propaganda throughout the mid 1900s. But through social revolutions and development which was so prominent throughout the 1900s, why are so many older Americans so stuck in their ways?
Patriotism isn’t a superiority, nor is it being stuck in such outdated routines and ways of thinking. It is growing with time, expanding routines and ideologies, and criticizing the country when it is corrupt. American patriotism is so focused on this egotistical idea of America being the “best” and “greatest” country, it is meant to express the U.S. as an example for other countries, but are we really that great if we are lacking so much of what real patriotism is? Until our patriotism actually embodies real patriotism and growth, we won’t be the best.
sources:
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00049530701449489
https://www.ywcaworks.org/blogs/ywca/wed-08292018-1200/how-american-society-habitually-silences-women-color-part-ii