The flag is not the problem
Americans are less divided over the flag than we think, but more uncertain about what patriotism asks of us.
In our politics, there is a constant temptation to turn even shared symbols into partisan signals. Conservatives are told that liberals hate the flag. Liberals are told it has been claimed by the right. NBC News even described the flag this week as a “MAGA hat on a stick.”
That’s not reality.
As I drive around Charlotte, I see plenty of American flags on display ahead of the Fourth of July weekend. It’s not a political statement at all. It’s just normal. Neighborly. American.
A new Catawba College-YouGov survey points in the same direction. Before the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, 87% of North Carolinians said it was important to celebrate the Declaration, including 80% of Democrats, 86% of independents and 98% of Republicans.
That does not sound like a people ready to give up on the country.
And yet, it is true that this year’s semiquincentennial celebration does not feel like as big a deal as it should. You can point the finger in plenty of directions, including the present occupant of the White House.
But I do not think the deeper problem is any one politician, party or ideology. It is certainly not that Americans have rejected patriotism. Maybe patriotism has simply become thinner.
The Venerable Fulton Sheen, the Catholic bishop whose television broadcasts once drew millions of viewers, saw this problem long before our current moment. In an episode called “Quo Vadis, America?” he said patriotism was tied to the old virtue of pietas: love of God, love of neighbor and love of country.
“And when one goes out,” he said, “all go out.”
That feels right. And we have work to do on all three fronts.
Love of God reminds us that the nation is not ultimate. Love of neighbor keeps patriotism from becoming mere tribalism. Love of country teaches us gratitude for what we have inherited and responsibility for what we pass on.
This July 4, that seems worth remembering.
One programming note: I’m not planning to send the regular Longleaf Politics email on Monday. Enjoy the holiday weekend, and keep an eye out for a special announcement on Tuesday.
