OPINION:
One day in class, a fellow 11th-grader posed a question: Can you love your country if it has harmed millions of people?
The question took me by surprise, and I’ve thought about it more since.
As the discussion unfolded, many of my classmates argued that it’s difficult to celebrate America at all.
They’re not alone. According to a June 2025 poll, a record low 58% of U.S. adults say they are either extremely or very proud to be an American.
My classmates pointed to slavery, segregation, the Vietnam war, delayed women’s suffrage, and the long struggle for LGBTQ+ rights as reasons America is difficult to celebrate.
Yes, the U.S. has its faults. But patriotism isn’t about ignoring the flaws of a country and pretending it’s perfect. It’s about being able to look at the good and bad in a country, seeing the potential for it to improve and wanting to make it better.
When my peers brought up the historical and modern injustices of America, I was compelled to think about one of the most ingenious parts of the Constitution: its ability to change. Since ratification, the Constitution has been amended 27 times, reflecting a nation determined to better itself.
The 13th Amendment ended slavery. The 14th Amendment established equal protections under the law. The 15th and 19th amendments expanded voting rights.
The Constitution was founded to create “a more perfect union” and though it hasn’t reached perfection yet, it’s constantly evolving to someday achieve the values outlined in the Declaration of Independence “that all men are created equal … endowed … with inalienable Rights.”
So when I think about patriotism, I’ll acknowledge the negatives in America’s past. But I will remain patriotic for a nation founded on the principle of protecting its citizens’ rights, a nation that has spent 250 years working to live up to its founding ideals. This is a nation that deserves patriotism because its ideals are worth striving for.
MAX DRAYER
Los Angeles, California
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