VICTOR JOECKS: Why Democrats aren’t proud to be Americans

The traits that make America great are what Democrats use to attack their country.

Just 53 percent of Americans say they are proud to be Americans, according to a new Gallup poll. Thirty-three percent say they are “extremely” proud to be an American. Another 20 percent say they are “very” proud.

There has been a dramatic drop in patriotic pride over the past two decades. In 2004, 91 percent of U.S. adults said they were proud to be Americans. It remained in the low to mid-80s until 2016. It dropped during the first Trump administration and then stabilized in the upper 60s during the Biden administration. Last year, American pride dropped to 58 percent. At this rate, pride in America will be a minority position next year.

The decline is mostly driven by a change in attitude among Democrats. In 2001, Republicans were 10 percentage points more likely to say they were extremely proud to be Americans. This year, the gap is a staggering 56 percentage points. Seventy percent of Republicans say they are extremely proud to be Americans. Among Democrats, it’s just 14 percent.

This gap isn’t just the result of Donald Trump ascending to the Oval Office. During the Obama and Biden administrations, Republicans were still more likely to express pride in America. In some of those years, the gap was 30-plus percentage points.

Democrats simply don’t like America much. To illustrate how absurd this is, imagine if parents thought of their child, Sam, like Democrats think of America.

Sam scored four touchdowns for his football team. Instead of cheering him on, his parents lectured him about disproportionality.

Sam brought home his report card. He earned A’s and B’s. His parents scolded him for his classmates receiving D’s and F’s.

Since his school opened, every student has belittled and mocked the janitors. Sam did too — at first. Then he and a friend named William Wilberforce realized such behavior was contrary to their principles. They quit doing it. They eventually forced every other student to stop as well, enduring beatings along the way. Instead of applauding Sam, his parents never let him forget that he once violated his Christian ideals.

It’s obvious that this attitude would make for a terrible parent. But this is exactly what the left does to America. Notice the parallels to critical race theory and attacking America for settler colonialism and slavery. These destructive ideas turn America’s greatest accomplishments into reasons to despise her.

One more example. Sam is about to turn 15. Instead of throwing him a party, his parents tell the world about all the mistakes he has ever made.

That sounds ridiculous. If celebrating someone’s birthday required him or her to be perfect, there wouldn’t be any parties. Yet, this is how many Democrats judge America.

The evidence is uncomfortable but unavoidable. Until Democrats reject these corrosive and wrong ideas, loving America will remain a partisan issue.