As Steve noted earlier today, we have just emerged from “Pride Month.” It was hard to miss. What were we supposed to be proud of? Being lesbian, gay, bisexual or transsexual.
Meanwhile, tomorrow is the 4th of July, Independence Day, a time when Americans typically express a different, more traditional sort of pride–pride in their country. Pride in country gets a day, not a month. How is that pride faring these days? Not so well. Gallup reports:
As Americans prepare to celebrate the Fourth of July holiday, their pride in the U.S. has hit its lowest point since Gallup’s first measurement in 2001. While 70% of U.S. adults overall say they are proud to be Americans, this includes fewer than half (45%) who are “extremely” proud, marking the second consecutive year that this reading is below the majority level. Democrats continue to lag far behind Republicans in expressing extreme pride in the U.S.
Looking at the numbers positively, it could be seen as impressive that 45% still say they are extremely proud to be Americans. Still, one hates to see those numbers dropping. And they are likely to continue to decline, since of those 18-29, 49% say they are only moderately proud to be American, only a little proud, or not at all proud. I suppose that is due, at least in part, to the Zinnification of American history in the public schools.
These days, it seems that pretty much all of our cultural indicators are pointing downward.
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