Seth Liebsohn: Taking Up the Challenges of Our Day

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The great political scientist Harry Jaffa wrote on our bicentennial: In 1776 the United States was nothing, promising to become everything; having become everything, it now promises to become nothing. This is even truer today, on the cusp of our 250th anniversary.

A new Gallup poll reveals a record-low percentage of Americans proud of America, dragged down by our youth and only 36 percent of Democrats being proud of America. This was all foreseeable. For years, our schools have taught that America was a blight on the world, not a blessing. And American history is our high school seniors’ worst subject.

Thus, our high school graduates enter adulthood by the millions, every year, alien to a country they don’t know or were taught to dislike. As C.S. Lewis put it: “by starving the sensibility of our pupils we only make them easier prey to the propagandist when he comes.”

Ronald Reagan’s farewell address called on us to teach patriotism again, informed patriotism. Now, more than ever, this holiday is the time to take up that challenge.

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