WASHINGTON, DC, Nov 6 -- I am proud to be an American; are you? If so, align yourself against the growing treachery of the progressive left. Align yourself with our Founding Fathers, who taught us to play fair and accept the rights empowered by the Constitution. And steer yourself clear of the lies of socialism. It's a doctrine that has failed everywhere it's been tried.
We've had good times and bad times, but we, as a nation, have always opted for the freedoms granted to us by the Constitution. As a result, we have prospered. It’s been 245 years since our forefathers wrested our independence from Great Britain, the most powerful nation on earth at the time -- a nation that had gained its own autonomy from Roman rule some 1,600 years ago. It’s taken just two and a half centuries for us to turn those 13 original colonies into what we are today -- a nation of powerful innovators that allows its citizens to use their freedoms to prosper.
The result is a show of pride among our citizenry; the polls have been consistent through the years that a great majority of us are, indeed, proud to be Americans and that a very few of us are ashamed. As the pollsters at Rasmussen put it: “Eighty percent (80%) of Republicans and 60% of those not affiliated with either major party now say America’s history is something to be proud of. However, only 45% of Democrats agree, while 34% of Democrats say Americans should be ashamed of their nation’s history. Only 11% of Republicans and 18% of unaffiliated believe Americans should be ashamed of U.S. history.”
The world view of the U.S. is awesome when it comes to the numbers of people in all parts of the world who say they would move to America if they could. According to Gallup, 158 millions of them say the U.S. is their destination of choice if they were able to emigrate. In other words, there are plenty of people from around the world who would gladly trade places with the progressive leftists who seemingly hate it here, people such as the dishonored former governor of New York Andrew Cuomo, who not long ago showed his hatred for our nation when he uttered his shameful assessment that "America was never that great."
The Wall Street Journal traced the origins of the leftist movement to the 1960s, which used slavery as a means of telling the world that America is not as kind and nurturing a domicile as one might think. An article a few years back in the journal showed why and how the progressive movement got its start. Shelby Steele, a Senior Fellow at Stamford University's Hoover Institution, who wrote the article, described it as: “a formula for power: The greater the menace to the nation’s moral legitimacy, the more power redounded to the left.” But in conclusion, Steele noted that: "For the American left today, the indulgence in hate is a death rattle.”
The Archbridge Institute describes itself as a non-partisan, independent public policy think tank. Dr. Clay Routledge is a senior research fellow who authored a white paper last December on the subject of The Current State of American Pride based on broad survey data and commentary. His findings were heartening.
Participants in the study involved more than 500 individuals, 27% of whom were classified as conservatives, 45% of whom were moderates, and 28% who were liberals. The vast majority reported that they were proud to be an American -- 85% of women and 90% of men. Eighty-one percent of African Americans, 88 percent of Asian Americans, 84% of Latinos, and 90% of white respondents all agreed that they were proud of our nation. So did “94% of Muslims 73% of Jews, 91% of Christians, 73% of atheists, and 84% of people who indicated some other religion.”
No matter their level of education, some 85% to 95% of Americans ranging from high school graduates to those with doctorate degrees agreed. Incomes did not influence responses; 82% to 92% of folks who earned less than $20,000 a year to those making more than $100,000 were proud, as well.
Respondents chimed in with explanations of why they feel about America with comments that were eye-opening. Those who said they were proud Americans remarked with statements such as "because it is a privilege" and because “this country lets a person be free. You can achieve the American dream.” One proud American said, "I have traveled extensively and know that America is the best country to live in. We have more rights than a lot of other countries and the ability to do whatever we want in life.” Another said, “I am proud to be an American because even though our country is far from perfect, I believe the majority of people are good and want good things for our country and we can move forward and be an even better country.”
Dr. Clay Routledge concluded his report by saying, "most Americans, regardless of race, income, or education believe they have either already achieved the American Dream or are on their way to achieving it … We propose that being proud to be American reflects both a positive and hopeful state of being and is thus likely to be associated with psychological flourishing.”
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