It's the day after Independence Day, and it's time to look around and see how the country is doing.
On balance, the U.S. is still the envy of the world.
How do I know that? Go to any foreign capital and drive by the U.S. embassy.
You are very likely to see a line of people applying for a visa to visit or move to the U.S.
Do you see something like that in any embassy in Washington, D.C.?
The latest Gallup poll is rather remarkable, although it does not surprise me.
According to the poll, pride in the U.S. depends on where you live and whom you vote for:
While most Americans are proud to be an American, certain groups are especially likely to say they are extremely proud. "Extreme pride" rises for each succeeding age group, from a low of 43% among those under 30 to a high of 64% among senior citizens.
Extreme pride also varies regionally, from a high of 61% in the South to a low of 46% in the West.
Sixty-eight percent of Republicans say they are extremely proud to be an American, much higher than the 47% of Democrats who say the same. As usual, independents are in the middle, at 53%.
Again, I'm not surprised that Republicans and Southerners think a bit more highly of the U.S. I see that all of the time.
The biggest disappointment for me is the under-30 numbers – i.e., only 43% are very proud.
For the most part, the under-30 group has grown up in prosperity and well-educated. Furthermore, these young people have a U.S. citizenship that lots of people around the world would gladly trade for. Frankly, where would they rather live?
We have some work to do with these young people. Our next president needs to give these young people a reason to love the U.S., and I don't mean meaningless "hope and change" speeches.
We need to explain to them that the U.S. is great because it gives you freedom, not dependency on government. I'm optimistic, but it will take a bit of work.
P.S. You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter.
Tags: Patriotism and the under-30 crowd To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the My View by Silvio Canto, Jr. Thanks!