There was a time when flying an American flag communicated nothing about who you voted for. It was — and should still be — a symbol of belonging, an acknowledgement of being part of something greater. Flying the stars and stripes is quintessentially patriotic — and yet somehow, this simple, wholesome act has become synonymous with being quintessentially partisan. And when something created to unite us has begun to divide us, it’s worth asking how we got here.
Patriotism in America has been on the decline. According to a Gallup poll, a record-low 58 percent of Americans said they were “very” or “extremely” proud to be an American, down 9 percent from 2024. Democrats are mostly responsible for this drop, with only 36 percent reporting feelings of national pride, down from 62 percent last year.
Over the past decade, patriotic language and imagery, once shared by an entire nation, has become closely associated with conservative political movements. Right-wing politicians wrap our stars and stripes in cultural nostalgia to appeal to those calling for a “real” — often meaning “less immigrant” — America.
But polarization is rarely ever unilateral. As patriotic imagery has become more closely associated with conservative politics, many on the left have grown wary of it, sometimes viewing overt expressions of national pride as ideological betrayal. Friends have even told me they initially perceived me to be conservative simply because I fly my American flag and enjoy displaying love for my country.
Their reaction is understandable, of course; when symbols feel politically charged, it is natural to distance oneself to resist xenophobic connotations. But in trying to avoid politicized symbols, the left inadvertently entrenches them; stepping away only reinforces that these symbols belong to the “other side.” We cannot allow one side to co-opt the pride that once united us.
After all, patriotism was never meant to be political. It predates every ideological divide that seems to define our modern nation. At its core, love for one’s country is rooted not in a shared party, but in a shared home and a shared future. It allows us to recognize that no matter how much we disagree, we are bound to one another by the same American experiment.
Loving one’s country has never required believing it flawless, either. This fallacy has embedded itself on both sides of the spectrum; many on the vocal right have eschewed criticism as un-American, while many on the vocal left have abandoned patriotism in pursuit of perfection. Both of these vocal groups are far from the truth.
True patriotism demands that we see America clearly — its scars, its flaws, its mistake-ridden beauty — and love it enough to change it for the better. No country is without fault, and history makes it clear that America’s greatest moments of progress have been driven by those who believed the country could better live up to its own promises. Abolitionists, suffragists, labor reformers and civil rights leaders challenged our nation because they knew what it could become.
In moments where political polarization feels like our nation’s defining trait, we must remember our roots. Democratic societies depend on citizens who feel connected enough to care about the future of their country.
As the next generation, the task of redefining patriotism is up to us. Because flying your flag has never made you Republican or Democrat. It makes you American.