Mainstream Media Portrays Patriotism As Being ‘Adjacent To Something Evil,’ Analysts Say

In the wake of the 20th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks, experts are speaking out to warn that the number of Americans who feel pride in their country has dramatically decreased over the past two decades.

This is largely due to the mainstream media, which currently portrays patriotism as something that is inherently evil.

Patriotism On The Decline Thanks To Media

“We’ve seen on multiple occasions major news outlets share their feelings and opinions in making patriotic symbols and demonstrations a divisive political issue,” said Fox News contributor Joe Concha.

“The New York Times just this summer had a writer named Mara Gay who declared that she found it ‘disturbing’ there were so many flags she had to witness on lawns and trucks,” he added. “Disturbing.”

“The same New York Times that not too long ago asked if the Star Spangled Banner and National Anthem were racist,” Concha continued. “The same New York Times that is defending Olympian Gwen Berry – who turned away from the National Anthem in calling the playing of it a ‘set up.’ This is not the paper of record. It’s an extension of the DNC.'”

Full Story: Hammer Thrower Gwen Berry Protests National Anthem At US Olympic Trials

Patriotism Hits Record Low

A poll conducted last year found that just 63 percent of Americans reported being “extremely” or “very proud” to be Americans, with this being a record low for our country.

While Republican patriotism has stayed relatively high over the last 20 years, Democrats’ answers when it comes to being proud of their country are often tied to who is president.

FiveThirtyEight further explained this in 2018:

“One year after the Sept. 11 attacks, 93 percent of Democrats and 99 percent of Republicans said they were either “extremely” or “very” proud to be Americans.

The GOP number stayed comfortably in the 90s for the duration of George W. Bush’s presidency, but by January 2007, amid an unpopular war in Iraq that sparked no small amount of liberal dissent, the share of Democrats who were ‘extremely’ or ‘very’ proud to be Americans had shrunk to 74 percent.”

Reasons Behind Patriotism Decline

Political commentator Drew Holden said the U.S. involvement in the Middle East and the U.S. government’s sweeping anti-terrorism surveillance powers post-9/11 contributed to the decline in patriotism.

“I think that definitely played into this polarization. Post 9/11, patriotism became associated, by the media and both parties, with support for foreign wars in Afghanistan and eventually and to a lesser degree Iraq,” he said. “I think that poisoned the well in a lot of ways. As soon as you’ve gotten a political cause tied to patriotism in the public square, it cheapens the term, and allows people to play fast and loose with the definition.”

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Holden went on to say that the politicization of America has played a costly role when it comes to patriotism. 

“Patriotism is the latest victim of America’s politicization and polarization crisis. But should it surprise us that patriotism wanes when outlets like CNN associate the word with January 6th rioters and white supremacists?” Holden added.

“By normalizing these outlandish perspectives, the media has helped create a narrative that uncontroversial views and displays of patriotism are adjacent to something evil, which is going to have a downstream impact on American culture more broadly,” he concluded.

What’s Happening Is Sad To See

It’s incredibly sad to see just how far patriotism has declined in recent years.

It’s also despicable to see members of the mainstream media continue to try and divide us as they attempt to teach people to hate this country.

In the wake of 9/11, America was unified like never before.

Given all that has happened since then, it is likely that America will never be unified in that way again, at least not anytime soon.