A call for patriotism 11 years later

Has it really been 11 years?

On that fateful Tuesday morning now over a decade ago, Americans woke up with a mindset of security and nonchalance. We went to bed that night with a completely different outlook. Our country’s blanket of security and our aura of power seemed to crumble before our eyes, just like the buildings we watched fall.

Nearly 3,000 people lost their lives when members of al-Qaeda used our own aircrafts to bring our country to its collective knees. In the days following, there was a feeling of oneness and unity between all of us. From the efforts of firemen to save as many civilians as possible while risking — and some ultimately losing — their lives, to the harrowing work of rescue crews clearing rubble and searching for survivors in mounds of bent steel and debris, we were shown the true meaning of patriotism.

Patriotism, at its core, is teamwork. True patriotism means sacrificing your wellbeing for the betterment of the country and those in it. In its most noble form, it brings people of all backgrounds together and makes dreams possible.

Patriots founded our country, from Thomas Jefferson penning the Declaration of Independence to Patrick Henry declaring, “Give me Liberty or give me death.” We have heard the story of Washington paddling his men through the icy waters of the Delaware River into victory and Paul Revere galloping through the dark streets of Massachusetts. These were men who sacrificed their comfort and safety because of their belief in an unformed nation with a potential for greatness that they clearly saw.

On Sept. 11, our country got another taste of what true patriotism was through the acts of the men and women at Ground Zero. Gallup polls conducted on the one-year anniversary found that the country’s confidence in our president and our Congress shot up, and those who said they attended church weekly rose from 41 to 47 percent.

Eleven years later, Gallup polls show church attendance is around 40 percent, half of our country wants the president replaced and Congress’ approval rating hit an all-time low of 10 percent in August.

And while our generation, the Millenial generation, was given one of the greatest examples of patriotism, we rank last in a poll conducted last September by Pew Research that asked, “Are you very patriotic?” Seventy percent of Millenials said yes, compared to Generation X, who had 86 percent. Those from the Baby Boomer generation, who saw firsthand the heroism displayed in World War II, had the highest rate, with 91 percent.

No, patriotism is not a cure-all for our country’s problems. Yes, patriotism can be overdone and bleed over into an all-out worship of the state. But is it too much to ask for us to work together for the good of the many?

This nation was founded by runaways and flourished because of the hard work of immigrants from all nations. In this melting pot, cultures came together, strangers became brothers and a collection of foreign-ruled colonies morphed into the greatest country in the world.

Eleven years ago, it took the loss of 3,000 of our countrymen and women to remind us of that greatness.

I hope it does not take that much to remind us next time.