What's the issue with patriotism?

Hi friends,

Dave and his family are enjoying some time away, so it’s me, Lauren, this week.

Dave will be back very soon, plus he still has videos going up on all your favorite platforms! Including this one about how President Trump is spending quite a bit of money on what he considers to be ‘upgrades’ to the Rose Garden, the East Wing of the White House and the city of D.C. He says he is asking Congress for $2 billion to have D.C. “beautified.” (Congress cut $1 billion dollars from D.C.’s budget this year). Oh and he also wants to build an arch across from the Lincoln Memorial. Are these things ridiculous? Maybe. Probably. It is a lot of money, and the government remains shut down.

This is the view I’m trying to take: I’ve been lucky enough to live in Washington, D.C. since 2005 and regularly take in the beauty of the city - running on the National Mall, visiting Henry the elephant at the National Museum of Natural History (yes Henry is beautiful), and never losing delight in the airplane approach into DCA that gives you a full aerial view of the monuments. I love this city and am being open-minded that the ‘Arc de Trump’ will only add to all the city has to offer. Because I am excited to celebrate the 250th anniversary of America. I’m a little fuzzier on the rest of the ‘beautifying’ plan.

Here’s the thing: I love my country. I am patriotic. I’ve felt patriotic since I was a little kid, when my dad took me canvassing with him each election cycle. He taught me that I should feel proud to be an American, and voting is good and important, and we should encourage others to vote as well. I’m worried, though, that some think the word and the feeling have changed since that time. And it makes me sad.

My friend Lenny sent me this tweet (sorry X doesn’t have the same ring to it) after a conversation we had last week.

Lenny is from Austria, but has been in the U.S. since college and is well on his way in his green card journey. He’s excited to complete the process and become a citizen. I’m excited for him, too, and I’ve told him I’ll make him a flag cake on the day he receives it.

Over a beer, Lenny and I talked about how we were both surprised that we had met more than a few folks in D.C. over the years that had refused to call themselves patriotic. Most of them identified as Democrats, matching the tweet he sent me later. I left that conversation frustrated because I’ve never correlated my own patriotism with my political beliefs, per se. Or with who is in power, whether I agree or disagree with them and their policies. Plus, I’ve never agreed with everything one party does or stands for anyway. I’ve remained proud of America, writ large, because I think a lot of it is great, I believe in democracy, and most Americans I know are good people.

A recent AP-NORC poll showed that the vast majority of Democrats and 75% of Republicans think the country is moving in the wrong direction. How does this sentiment square with Americans’ thoughts on patriotism, generally?

So I’m curious if that’s just me or if your sense of patriotism has changed recently, or over the course of your lifetime, and why. Should we hug closer to our sense of patriotism when we don’t agree with those in power or push it away? Send me your thoughts at [email protected], I’d love to know what you think.

Lauren

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OH and one more thing since we are talking about how much we love democracy (right?!). It’s Election Day on Tuesday. I love elections (see earlier anecdote about my dad) AND I’m a proud Virginian by birth so yes I get amped for these off-year situations. According to VPAP, early voting numbers in Virginia have already surpassed 2021 numbers and account for the most early votes in any non-presidential election in the state. That’s incredible! Voting is great and the more folks that do it, the better.

And if you are an election-addict like me, here is what Lenny (who is a data scientist that tracks these sorts of things) will be watching for on Tuesday night (beyond the obvious, which is who wins): can the GOP make gains with non-white voters stick from 2024 (mostly in New Jersey, but also somewhat in Virginia) and does the GOP lose more ground in Northern Virginia due to DOGE and the ongoing government shutdown.