OPINION:
Words are tools. Like a hammer that can be wielded to build or break, they can serve a wide range of functions.
One word with an exceptional range of meaning is pride.
From the ancient annals of faith to the leading edge of fad, the term has been used to describe emotions associated with human behaviors ranging from self-sacrifice to self-gratification. There is hardly a more magnificent use of pride, though, than when, in its adjectival form “proud,” it expresses the exuberance of unalloyed patriotism, as in, “I’m proud to be an American.”
The current moment places “pride” front and center of America’s prevailing mood. It is the anticipation of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States that has a broad swath of Americans eager to proudly wave the red, white and blue.
Uncountable American flags, some still bearing the creases of recent packaging, flutter from front porches they have never before adorned across Hometown USA. Flag-themed T-shirts and caps — some with artistic motifs of stars and stripes, others simply stamped with “250” in bold font — crowd the racks of big-box stores and fashion boutiques alike.
The drafters could hardly have imagined what their adoption of the Declaration of Independence on that day in 1776 would unleash in the nation’s capital, circa 2026. Of course, President Trump has had a hand in stoking the patriotic passions of Americans.
In typical Trumpian fashion, the president has expanded the celebration of the nation’s semiquincentennial by extending it on both sides of the Fourth of July.
Among anniversary-related events: “Rededicate 250” was a prayer event gracing the National Mall in May; “UFC Freedom 250” rocked the White House lawn with an octagon-featured fight night in June; “Salute to America Celebration” is slated for a July Fourth parade and fireworks on the National Mall to honor those who put their lives on the line to serve in the U.S. armed forces; and a “Freedom 250 Grand Prix,” booked for August, is to send race cars roaring through the city.
Sadly, a sizable faction is refusing to take pride in the nation’s anniversary. A Public Religion Research Institute poll conducted in May found that only 51% of Americans surveyed said they were extremely or very proud to be an American, a dramatic decline from 2013, when their proportion totaled a preponderant 82%.
Unsurprisingly, it is mostly Democrats who reject patriotism as the nation’s 250th anniversary draws near. A Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted in June found just 27% of party members plan to fly a U.S. flag outside their home on July Fourth. By contrast, 64% of Republicans eagerly vow to do so.
Democrats’ scorn for the milestone cannot be uncoupled from Never-Trumpism, which permeates their party. Steps to block Mr. Trump’s beautification plans for the White House and other national landmarks constitute petty lawfare.
Schemes intended to defeat Mr. Trump’s efforts to safeguard citizens from unbridled immigration at home and nuclear terrorism from abroad are indisputably un-American. It is clear Democrats have allowed their antipathy for the president to poison their pride in the homeland.
Moreover, current “progressive” fashion has saddled “pride” with exotic meaning. June, for example, is called “Pride Month.” Formerly called “Gay Pride Month,” it has been rebranded by its ideological champions to widen its appeal among Americans who might otherwise abhor the libertine sexual practices of the LGBTQ culture.
To be sure, within civilization’s historical foundations, “pride” was considered nothing to flaunt. In traditional Catholic theology, the term was cataloged as one of the Seven Deadly Sins, a characteristic of the unrepentant human ego that seeks to overthrow the preeminence of God. “It was through pride,” theologian C.S. Lewis wrote in “Mere Christianity,” “that Lucifer became wicked.”
With modernity’s more genial sensibilities, though, “pride” has added meaning free from either political or theological charge, as when describing the beaming smile of a schoolchild who brings home an exceptional report card.
In this vein and for this moment in American history, “pride” should transcend fad, fetish and faith. Echoing from sea to shining sea, it is the unapologetic expression of satisfaction in playing a part — however small or large — in the ongoing story of the greatest nation the world has ever known. As in “I’m proud to be an American.”
• Frank Perley is a former senior editor and editorial writer for Opinion at The Washington Times.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.