Killing National Pride

Sports fans can be incredibly dedicated to their teams. This allegiance goes beyond the simple personal aspect of showing appreciation and extends into a community of fans. The sharing of a fandom brings people together in a camaraderie and enjoyment of a shared experience.

Teams build on this camaraderie. A stronger fan bases increase revenue, grows recognition and helps to maintain support for that team during tough times. It only makes sense that growing team pride is integral to a productive franchise. However, when a sports team loses its fan base, it fades into history.

The same can be said for nations. The importance in building national pride is paramount to the existence of a country. Like sports fans, national pride builds communities. It strengthens economies and holds countries together when things get tough. Same as teams, losing national pride has a devastating effect on a nation. Why then are we destroying national pride?

Since the beginning of our nation, the phrase ‘American Exceptionalism’ has been the battle cry for national pride. It stood for liberty and the uniqueness of our nations founding. We considered ourselves to be the ‘city on the hill’, not out of providence; but because we believed the United States existed to show the world that liberty and individual freedom were possible and worth fighting for. I believe that pride is no longer being instilled in our youth. A recent video was done on the Campus of Harvard University in which students were asked, “Which is a bigger threat to world peace, America or ISIS?”.

First, let me point out that these individuals appear to be intelligent, well articulated individuals. Not your average man on the street video done for late night TV.

That being said, they lack all sense of national pride or understanding of our actions in perspective to the actions of other countries. Obviously the question was asked to draw out this answer; however, the question itself should be seen as bogus by anyone with pride in his/her country. To argue a comparison between the actions of the US and the actions of ISIS requires a person to have been taught to dislike the country in which they live.

It could be argued that o previous actions of the US as being the source world problems. These individuals lack a balanced concept of American history. These youths have been taught that only evil lies in the American past. Global conditions are unstable not because of the lack of liberty and freedom; but as a result of American liberty and freedom. Consequently, we have American citizens who hold a disdain for the American founding while taking full advantage of it in nearly every aspect of their lives.

Had schools in southeastern Wisconsin during the 90’s only instructed children on the horrible state of the Packers during the 70’s and 80’s, my guess is we would have a larger Bears fan population in Milwaukee. It would have hurt the Packers as an organization and the reduced their overall prestige today. This is what is happening to America via the education system. Academia is killing national pride. As it dies so does the camaraderie we all shared as US citizens and the community building aspect of the camaraderie. We have become fractured into sects, denying the greatness of our own country.