My Letter to the “I’m Not Proud” Crowd

Why Rejecting Patriotism Won’t Heal What’s Broken

This past July 4th stood out to me. Not for the fireworks or flag-waving, but for what those displays revealed. In one crowd, I saw an almost defiant joy, a kind of pride that had clearly been stored up for years. For many of them, being proud to be an American wasn’t just about gratitude. It was about relief. They felt they had been told for too long t…