“God bless America, land that I love. Stand beside her, and guide her, through the night with a light from above.”
—from “God Bless America” (words and music by Irving Berlin)

I suspect most of you would respond “Yes” to today’s title. Sadly, not all Americans would agree. This being my last post before our nation’s 250th birthday, I want to address some articles I’ve come across.

A recent Associated Press poll of almost twenty-six hundred U.S. adults reported only twenty-five percent of them consider the U.S. to be superior to all other countries, while forty-four percent feel the U.S. is one of the world’s greatest countries.

Forty-four percent of 18- to 30-year-olds regard other countries as better than ours, while only twenty-two percent of those over age 60 feel that way. Furthermore, fifty-one percent of those polled believe the American dream no longer holds true—a number skewed by the young and those who identify as Democrats or Independents.

The Hill reported on a Quinnipiac poll of thirteen hundred U.S. adults showing twenty-two percent of us are not proud to be an American—thirty-seven percent of 18-to 34-year olds and seven percent of those 64 and older. Fifty-seven percent say the democratic system is not working—sixty-five percent of Republicans say it is and seventy-four percent of Democrats say it isn’t.

My hunch is those latter numbers would be reversed if we were in a season of Democrat control of the White House and the Senate. Such is the bias of our political parties. For those who think democracy is a terrible form of government, Winston Churchill would agree, as he once said that it is, “except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.”

Clearly there’s a trend: Younger adults are much more dissatisfied with our country than are older adults. I’m no sociologist, but I suspect much of that is due to the way our young adults were raised. I’m painting with a broad brush, but they seem to feel more entitled and less motivated than older generations. In a sea of opportunity, they seem rudderless, often completing high school or college with no idea of what they want to do.

Other contributing factors include the decline of the nuclear family, a diminished emphasis on faith, and less emphasis on the importance of education. In a WSJ article recently posted in the Free Expression newsletter, Matthew Continetti reported that seventy-seven percent of Gen Zers were unable to explain the significance of the Fourth of July. Seriously?

If that bothers us, imagine the angst it causes our veterans, our families who lost loved ones in the defense of our country, and our founding fathers, who must be turning over in their graves.

Clearly, the elephant (and donkey) in the room is politics. It’s likely that only our members of Congress, their immediate families, and their family dogs believe they’re doing an admirable job . . . and the dogs are wavering! Most of those polled believe our politicians on both sides of the aisle serve out of self-interest, not the public’s. Maybe we’re too quick to pin blame on them, but the offices they hold demand the highest level of accountability and productivity.

Interestingly, CNN recently reported that those of us registered as Independents, or Unaffiliated, is at an all-time high of forty-seven percent. That constitutes a plurality, and it means that most Americans probably fall about midway between the right and the left. They don’t subscribe to the histrionics and hand-wringing of either side. They would love dialogue, compromise, and productive work from those we elect and pay to represent us.

So, what to do with all this information? My evil twin would tell the disgruntled not to let the door at the airport or seaport terminal hit them in the fanny on their way out of the U.S. The better angels of my nature, to borrow from President Lincoln, would say, “Do something about it other than complain.”

Parents need to re-establish and emphasize the importance of their children’s education, including American history, warts and all. They need to demonstrate to their kids their belief in American exceptionalism by what they do and say. Screen time and content need to be monitored. It’s highly unlikely our kids are watching videos or reading things that positively portray basic American values. In families who subscribe to faith as existential, they need to get back to their version of “church,” and take their kids with them. Those who don’t subscribe to faith in God should at least rethink it.

Grounded by parental guidance and fortified by a good education, our kids will mature into better-educated and well-informed young adults, giving them the chance to lead lives of significance. My hope is they will depend on trusted news sources, engage in their civic and faith communities, and get involved in our political process, even if it’s only to cast an educated vote.

We’ve fumbled the ball in America, and allowed our society to deviate from what the founders envisioned for our country. But it’s not too late to recover that fumble and change the direction of the game. Indeed, God has blessed America, but He’s also ceded to us, as U.S. citizens, the responsibility of sustaining that blessing.

What better time to get started than on our nation’s 250th birthday?