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The findings of a Gallup poll released at the end of June showed a higher percentage of people feeling less proud to be American. There was a stark division along partisan lines, which, given the Free America protests against President Donald Trump's policies on immigration, Medicaid and his spending cuts, is not surprising. Using a random sample size of 1,000, this Gallup survey found that 58% of participants reported being "extremely or very proud" to be American. Nineteen percent stated that they were "moderately" proud, 11% responded "only a little" proud, and 9% indicated that they were "not at all" proud. Gallup senior editor Jeffrey M. Jones noted that when participants were asked about how they viewed their American citizenship in 2001, "87% said they were extremely or very proud," and this percentage increased after the 9/11 attacks. Now, over two decades later, morale among some Americans is very low.

Democrats comprised the majority of respondents with less optimism regarding American pride, while 92% of Republicans sampled held our nation in high regard. There were also vast differences along generational breakdowns. Between 2021 and 2025, only 41% of Gen Zers, young people born between 1997 and 2012, expressed that they were content being American. Fifty-eight percent of millennials were proud of their American nationality compared with 71% of Gen Xers. Baby boomers and the Silent Generation were the most proud of their American heritage, at 75% and 83% respectively.

The small sample size of 1,000 in this survey provides us with insight into how some Americans are feeling as Fourth of July celebrations are held throughout the country. Although this number cannot be considered reflective of the entire nation, it would be naive to assume that everyone is a happy citizen. However, as the U.S. marks its 249th birthday, I believe America is still the best ongoing democratic experiment. Historians point to this "great experiment" beginning the moment the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776. Now, we know that the Founding Fathers who signed this document were far from perfect men, with most, including James Madison, George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, being slaveowners. Slavery was the predominant sin that made the egalitarian ideals of our fledgling nation seem most hypocritical, but the beautiful thing about an experiment is that you continue to test it. We've been testing democracy for a mighty long time in America, as those who have been the most oppressed have called out our immoral shortcomings. Think about the famous speech Frederick Douglass made on July 5, 1852, in Rochester, New York, titled "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?" Douglass told his audience that "the distance between this platform and the slave plantation, from which I escaped, is considerable -- and the difficulties to be overcome in getting from the latter to the former, are by no means slight." He would conclude expressing hope for America, stating, "I do not despair of this country. There are forces in operation, which must inevitably, work the downfall of slavery. The arm of the Lord is not shortened." If Douglass could still have a spirit of encouragement 13 years before slavery ended, stating that "the Declaration of Independence has "great principles," then certainly in our present time we can still push on to fight for what is right.

In contemplating my responsibility as an American citizen this Independence Day, I am reminded of 1 Peter 2:16, which instructs us not to use "(our) liberty for a cloak of maliciousness, but as servants of God." In my roles as a teacher and a member of my community, I must humbly serve others using the knowledge and resources that God has graciously given me. And as Romans 12:10 states, I must show devotion to others "with (authentic) brotherly affection (as members of one family), (giving) preference to one another in honor." If we applied these spiritual precepts in uplifting our democratic values, our country would be in a much better place. Yet I am proud to be an American, even though we fall short of living up to our moral standards of freedom, equality and justice. I remain grateful that God has enabled us to carry on our "great experiment."

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Dr. Jessica A. Johnson is a lecturer in the English department at Ohio State University's Lima campus. Email her at smojc.jj@gmail.com. Follow her on X: @JjSmojc. To find out more about Jessica Johnson and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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