Patriotism is defined as vigorous support for one’s country. Despite what many in the U.S. think today, it’s not exclusively an American value. It is also not exclusively a right-wing value. Young people are constantly criticized for not being patriotic by their elders and in the media.
It's not that they don’t want to be; it's that they have no reason to.
The Associated Press reports only four in 10 adults part of Generation Z would consider themselves to have a high level of pride for the U.S., compared to six in 10 Millennials, according to a Gallup study. This dip is mostly due to Democrats and independents. MSNBC says 92% of Republicans would still say they are extremely proud to be American, with that percentage never dropping below 84% in 2022.
Young people want a country they can be proud of, especially as they begin to move into political positions themselves. From President Donald Trump’s pessimistic speech at the United Nations meeting, telling other countries they are “going to hell,” on Tuesday to the spectacle made out of the late Charlie Kirk’s funeral Monday, recent political activity, isn’t boding well for American youth’s attitudes.
It all boils down to representation in government. Before Diversity, Equity and Inclusion laws were stripped away by the Trump administration, there was a push for representation in media and government, an important step in the equal distribution of representation among the states. There should be a push for seeing young people in government, too, but older generations aren’t ready to admit it.
Gen Z wants to take action because our voices are not heard. Rather, they continue to be silenced. Young people aren’t given a chance in the government because the fear of necessary fundamental change is so deeply rooted within the elder generations. As time moves forward; however, the lack of fresh, new voices on modern-day issues will come back to haunt America’s future.
This is nothing short of a plea to employers, members of local offices and political figures to give young people a shot. Embrace new ideas as they inevitably become the future of the U.S. If Gen Z continues to be ignored and wiped out by the passage of hateful and critical legislation, there will be a cycle of division that will never cease between parties.
In order to protect free speech, we must be willing to have open discussion and productive dialogue, free of hate speech. With this comes an important step of inviting the opposition to share their ideas. Every person in the U.S. is facing a government led by someone who “hates his opponent,” encouraging further division between parties and generations.
We’re calling on people to heed our warning, as the current lineup of government officials makes it difficult for the sideline to cheer for. If we continue to be silenced, if we are continuously denied the opportunity to take action and ask for assistance, there will be no progress. Instead, there’s continued distaste for a country that refuses to listen to its inhabitants.
Hearmyvoiceonline.com is a resource directly through Ohio University’s Dr. Janice Collins for Gen Z students to publish their work in media and politics. It’s important to make yourself heard, credible and active in this kaleidoscope political sphere.
Abby Jenkins is a senior studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note the opinions expressed in this column do not represent those of The Post. Want to talk to Abby about her column? Email her at aj205621@ohio.edu.
