It’s genuinely tragic, but July 4th has come to signify the death of common culture within America.
While most red-blooded Americans were celebrating the birth of the greatest country in the world, the left was singing an entirely different tune. Anyone active on social media undoubtedly witnessed the screeds of social justice warriors attempting to justify their hatred of all things red, white, and blue. And while those unhinged rants could be dismissed as the ravings of liberal lunatics, the far left wasn’t alone in its anti-American sentiments.
It’s becoming increasingly clear that disdain for America isn’t limited to the party fringes.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a freshman Democratic Congresswoman and hero of the progressive left, spent the 4th attacking those that would dare defend this country. That same day, the New York Times published a video explaining how America isn't all that great, and CNN released an exposé on white nationalism in the United States. It’s becoming increasingly clear that disdain for America isn’t limited to the party fringes.
Liberals, it would seem, are no longer proud to be Americans.
This trend is more than just anecdotal; it is backed up by research as well. Ahead of July 4th, Gallup released a poll that found that American pride has hit a new low. The leading cause of the decline is, unsurprisingly, Democrats. Only 22 per cent of Dems say that they are extremely proud to be Americans, down 10 per cent in one year. Their rationale for this precipitous decline is as painfully obvious as it is dumb: leftists can’t stand Donald Trump.
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A C-130 flies by the American flag in front of the 96th Test Wing headquarters building at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., Nov. 1. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)[/caption]
Republicans, recognizing this country’s unique history, founding, and legacy, remain unwavering in their belief in the greatness of this land. Democrats, by contrast, are capricious, and can only retain their appreciation for America when they are in control.
As Andrew Klavan astutely pointed out: when Dems lose elections, they lose their pride in this great country.
Democrats are capricious, and can only retain their appreciation for America when they are in control.
Liberals’ lack of pride in America has manifested in numerous peculiar ways, not least of which is the sudden disdain for law and order. The southern border crisis comes most quickly to mind as the clearest illustration of the left’s newfound desire for anarchy. Democrats’ need to abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and their ludicrous, shameful invocation of the Holocaust to characterize America’s migrant detention centers demonstrate just how extreme they've become. Their contempt for America can be expressed much more subtly, particularly when it comes to seemingly bipartisan policy initiatives.
America’s space program, for instance, was once considered one of the pinnacles of bipartisan cooperation.
Perhaps most famously, John F. Kennedy was an enormous proponent of America’s space program. On November 16, 1961, President Kennedy announced to Congress his goal of sending an American to the moon. In his speech, he urged Congress to mobilize the financial resources necessary to secure the country’s position in space. Congress complied, and a mere 8 years later, the very first American set foot on the moon.
The United States’ space program has always been a bipartisan symbol of America’s spirit and ingenuity. Now, however, it has become a lightning rod for liberal scorn. Perhaps most strangely, the National Security Space Launch (NSSL) program has come under intense scrutiny by Democrat Adam Smith, the Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. Why? Because President Trump supports it, of course.
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The Blue Angels fly above the Lincoln Memorial as President Donald J. Trump, addresses his remarks at the Salute to America event Thursday, July 4, 2019, at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. (Official White House Photo by Keegan Barber)[/caption]
Established in 1994 by the United States Air Force, the NSSL (previously called the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle program) has endured both Republican and Democrat administrations. It was created with the bipartisan goal of ensuring America’s national security interests in space. But apparently, that’s not enough for Democrats, who are looking to hinder the program’s success in an apparent swipe against the president’s agenda.
July 4th 2019 has clearly demonstrated that liberals no longer view this great nation with the reverence it deserves.
The Air Force has repeatedly expressed its concern that changes to the program would absolutely weaken America’s national security and compromise our nation’s position in space, but Democrats aren’t listening. In particular, Rep. Smith has consistently attempted to use his clout as HASC Chairman to delay and restructure the NSSL. Democrats are willing to derail a previously-bipartisan program and sacrifice American national security, just to stick it to Trump.
If that doesn’t demonstrate the left’s lack of American pride, nothing does.
As it stands, America is currently at a crossroads. July 4th 2019 has clearly demonstrated that liberals no longer view this great nation with the reverence it deserves. The left has come to regard the United States with the same contempt that they hold for the president of the United States. To retain our identity as a nation, we must reject this toxic, self-flagellating mentality. American pride is essential to the American experiment, and it is a tragedy that the Democrats have lost it.
Michael Daugherty is the Founder of LabMD
