Proud to be an American?

July 2026

It was the Fourth of July the other day and what I consider to be the consummate American holiday.  It was also America’s 250th birthday, which added a bit of extra specialness to it. Leading up to the holiday I had been doing a lot of watching and listening.  Trying to assess what people are thinking during these intriguing times. And, I must admit, I became somewhat disturbed while doing so. This turned into a bit of severe agitation as I continued to query and gather people’s perspective at various social events I attended during the holiday weekend. I became so troubled that it caused me to ponder.

Before and during this holiday I kept hearing quotes like: “Well I’m sure not proud to be an American”, or “I was here in 1976 and things were so much better”, or “As a country, we are an embarrassment”, and my favorite one to loath, “You’re going to put up a flag? Aren’t you afraid of being stigmatized by that?”.

Oh my! We sure seem to have lost our way, haven’t we? Because of all of this, today I am pondering how I feel about my country and the level of division and malcontent that seems so pervasive. So unique. 

But you know what? I have studied just enough history to know better. Grumbling and bellyaching are not really unique at all. Especially for Americans. But where we place the blame may be. Let’s talk about this. Yet before we begin, as I always remind you, stop reading now if you don’t want to hear my opinions. Because I am going to throw a few of them at you. So, I will say that I am sorry in advance if you are in any way offended by what follows.

First, let’s be clear, what is going on today, in 2026, is a repeat of what has gone on throughout our 250-year history. Sadly, in these times where information is shared without accountability for accuracy, we get a bit of a filtered view of the past. It doesn’t help that our own first-hand account is limited to the narrow window of time that we bear witness within our relatively short lives. All the rest is somewhat hearsay. Often, we can believe what we want. Fact or otherwise. And many of us have an overly glorified view of our American past.

Frankly we, meaning Americans, have rarely been the “United” States. At least united in the way many of us think this country should be, meaning in what we believe or how we look, feel and act. We are not now, nor have we ever been, unified on how we feel about many things. To top it off, we are a culture that has a chip on our shoulders, and we always have. Our founding fathers included.

Today, many people think our government is corrupt and full of graft and demagogy. And this is on both sides of the political spectrum. Again, that is nothing new. To prove this, just for fun, let’s look back on our Bicentennial, 50 years ago. It was 1976, and many of those that can remember way back then, think these were the best of times.  But were they?  

The year 1976 lies within the heart of a time in American history when social disruption was commonplace. While we were attempting to celebrate our country’s Bicentennial we were still spinning from a decade of severe domestic turmoil and political upheaval. The Vietnam War had just ended and was a costly and controversial military loss. The casualty numbers were staggering, and the economic impact was devastating on a global scale. All of this left Americans, young and old, with a deep distrust in the government and its leadership. It didn’t help that Watergate was still etched in our memories, even though many failed to understand that event. Other than it had led, for the first time in our history, to the resignation of a president.

As we neared the Bicentennial, our economy was in horrible shape and showed no signs of improving. In the decade prior to 1976 the country was beleaguered by slow economic growth, high unemployment, and high inflation. All of this occurring at the same time was a new and unusual occurrence.  “Stagflation” became the term used for this economic oddity.

An ongoing energy crisis, characterized by the high price and apparent scarcity of oil, caused natural gas prices to spike and, what was even worse for Americans, long lines and high prices at the gas pumps. Prices rose significantly across the board. Business failed. All of this kept everyone on edge. Both the working and middle classes faced extreme anxiety about their economic circumstances, which led to protest rallies and marches, both peaceful and violent. Flag burning was still moderately commonplace as a means to exercise free speech and demonstrate against American governmental policies and practices. Bicentennial ceremonies were frequently used by citizens as forums for political dissent and were often stages for huge protests. It was a time when our country was undergoing a massive cultural transformation, and societal norms were changing rapidly. Minority groups were screaming for reform and becoming intolerant of not having a voice.

All of the dissent was fueled by this relatively new cultural medium called “television”, which disseminated information quickly, and not always with unbiased accuracy.  Basically, the social media of the day, with somewhat of a less personal interaction of course.

Does any of this sound oddly familiar and almost contemporary? Remember, this was a half century ago! For the sake of brevity, we will leave it to this singular instant.  But suffice it to say, we could look back again and again in our 250-year history and find innumerable instances of political division, strife and malcontent. Many were even more violent and divisive than the ones we feel today.

Some things will never change.  You know why?  Because governing is hard when so many points of view and perspectives need to be addressed. That is why governments will always draw enmity as well as apathy. And this is true in any society. But what has seemed to change in America is the way we feel about one another, especially our opinions of others across the political aisle. Left vs right, conservative versus liberal, or any other of the too many political oriented slurs we throw at one another based upon our affiliation, perceived or otherwise. Partisanship has gone from a political mechanism to a cultural phenomenon. It often goes to such extremes that it involves blind loyalty and the refusal to objectively consider alternative viewpoints, or even facts for that matter.

One obvious example is that both sides of course believe in freedom of speech, but each have differing definitions of what that means. “We the people”, claim to value other people’s views, but it frequently seems to me that we only do so if those opinions coincide with our own. Otherwise, many people seem to disregard opposing points of view as almost treasonous. And may vocally condemn anyone that doesn’t agree with their views.

I have travelled the world and no country I have ever been to is perfect. In fact, everywhere I have gone, including places that are called “the world’s happiest countries”, people still bemoaned their situations and the government’s perceived lack of empathy towards it.  Trust me, governmental distrust is universal, and likely always has been.  But hatred within the body politic, is a little more unusual. How we now take sides, like it is a competition between political parties, is unhealthy and unproductive. We used to all have a common "enemy", which was the government in general. This tended to bring us all together. Not anymore.  Now we seem to take it out on America, or Americans.  Which means the people. You know, each other.

Where are we going with this type of attitude? As Americans.  As Earthing’s. As a species. Do we see the current path we are on making a better world?  Creating a more perfect union with domestic tranquility? Societal betterment?  I don’t think so. We have taken sides now. There is way too much distrust and hatred, all focused on the two sides of the political spectrum.

In my simple terms I see it this way. Conservatives tend to want to look backwards, to find and capitalize on the mechanisms that made us what we are. To embrace traditional values and cultural continuity. Liberals tend to want to change, to make social progress away from traditional values, to forget the past and move away from what we were. Conservatives want to move slowly. Methodically embracing change while capitalizing on past success. Liberals want it all now, like an impetuous 5-year-old ripping away at presents on Christmas morning, never knowing what they really got.

Neither are right, nor wrong. It seems all about managing change to me. Which is never an easy thing, especially in these days of almost constant change. But it is impossible if we choose different sides while we are trying to do so. Right now, we are all just looking for a means to lead our best life. Can it really be found in conflict?  Or is empathy and understanding the way to find joy and happiness?  I think we all know the answer.

But I also think I owe some answers to the original questions that caused me to ponder. Do I love America? You bet I do. Her rich history and the principles she was founded upon are beyond compare. The foresight of our constitution is stunning and the work of genius. And I have great pride in what we have accomplished over the centuries as Americans. When I see the flag flapping in the breeze and hear the national anthem, I always fight back tears of pride. Every. Single. Time.

Now, do I always like American policies? No. Do I like the egocentricities of some of its leaders? No. Do I like the extremisms of some of her people? No. Do we go off course on occasion? Of course we do. But I love her in spite of these imperfections. I sure do. And I always will. I am proud to be an American! And I will always be honored to raise the flag in her honor.

Oftentimes we have to look at and judge the intent of our actions, not the outcome. Because perfection in our diverse and complicated world is unattainable. But the joy is in the journey and not the destination. And America is on a journey.  America is an idea. It’s still a government based upon a theory. But its people make it real and tangible. And I have tremendous faith that we will weather this storm like we have endured and survived so many others. Once we remember that we are really all on the same team.