Conservatives don’t get to own patriotism

Why they are so obsessed with flags & a meditation on what I love about America

I often hear people say, “Democrats need to take back patriotism.” On this holiest of days when we celebrate American flag t-shirts from Old Navy, fireworks made in China and hot dogs that come from god knows where, I want to contest that conservatives own patriotism in the first place. 

I have two things to consider:

1. Why do these people wrap themselves in the paraphernalia of patriotism?

2. What does it actually mean to love America?

TACKY PATRIOTIC KITSCH IS DEEPLY POLITICAL

The reason that conservatives are deeply obsessed with the flag and various patriotic flair is because of identity politics. Yup, it's not only for leftists. The core of nationalism, (aka the ‘America First’ movement) is how identity as ‘American’ is paramount. Nationalism is a political movement where you put your nation's interests ahead of those of other nations. Nationalism is a core foundation of authoritarian populist campaigns, where that identity is foiled with the ‘other’ - the elites, the people of different races, immigrants, etc.  

Nationalism and patriotism are not the same thing, but the extreme performance of patriotism in America today is clearly a reflection of the former: the house with 30 American flags, the red white and blue themed Moms for Liberty Gala, the gaudy Mar-a-Lago decked out for the 4th, the weird Trump AI art that constantly comes across your feed. We live in a time of volume aesthetics, where propaganda is fed into our lives through phones we even take to the bathroom. We all learned in school about the role visual propaganda played in the regimes of people like Stalin, but today the cultural identity is user generated.  

The flag draping of the conservative culture movement shouldn't be brushed off as mere aesthetics because it gets to the very core of their political movement. It is shrouding themselves in a narrative of what it means to be an American, a narrative they’ve written themselves. 

In conservative legal advocacy, the narrative is ‘history and tradition’ - they take the legal decisions that they want and justify them by saying they are rooted in the history of America. In conservative education advocacy, they are re-writing the history of America to be one that is a Chrsitian nation. (There’s a great podcast on this called Teaching Texas.)  At Turning Point USA’s most recent Young Women’s Leadership Summit the message was “if we want to win the culture war, we have to start AT HOME.” Women’s role as mothers, homekeepers and the goddesses of tradition is a well trodden path for authoritarians. 

Democrats will never win the war of who can wear the tackier sequin American flag outfit - and frankly it’s not one I want to fight. We also shouldn’t accept the premise that nationalism under the guise of patriotism is a good thing. Being American does not mean caring about yourself above others. It also doesn’t mean staying rooted in a fantasy world of history.  

America is not an abstract concept, it is a country that reflects the will of its people. The idea that we are tied to only living the way some random men 200 years ago decided is ludicrous. And the people who wrap themselves in patriotism bely a deeply unhappy and hateful rhetoric underneath: one in which they want their leader to be a king who reigns for them and not for us.  

America is fucking awesome - I love it so much. Conservatives’ bad taste in patriotic flair doesn’t take that away from me. 

WHY I LOVE AMERICA

1. We have massive wide open spaces and an endless feeling of possibility. There’s nothing better than a summer road trip: windows down, songs playing, a crisp fountain diet coke, and looking out into the vast land that is this country. There’s so much here, there’s a sense of possibility of what the future can bring. These moments are always nostalgic for a sense of place and time and feed into our main character syndrome. The goal of America is to be a place where you can go where you want and be who you want.

2. It’s a yappers paradise. If there’s one thing to know about me it’s that I love to chat. Conversations are how we build communities. Science has told us that, literally, having conversations brings our brains into synchronicity. Yes, we have the 1st Amendment and the right to speech and all of that, which is great if not annoying in the way a little brother is annoying (just cause you can say something doesn’t mean you should!) But the very foundation of this country is built around a place for conversation, like a town meeting where people come together to figure out how to run their own lives. At its core it is who we are. 

3. Everyone has their own schtick. Sometimes I see things on the internet and I just mutter to myself, God bless. You know, I’m glad these people were able to find what makes them happy. So much of this country is about just letting people be who they are. The historical narrative of America is people coming to this country because they were not accepted at home, their beliefs, their way of life, their values. They wanted to come here and just be themselves. I love that for them.

4. Root Beer is fucking awesome. America does have a cultural identity and it’s not uggo fake brass American Eagle kitsch. It’s people coming home to their families and sharing a meal. It’s people helping each other in times of hardship. It’s a melting pot of cultures and interests and peoples that has put a unique spin on life. It’s not perfect by any means, but it’s also not owned by a particular group of religious wackjobs - it’s for all types of wackjobs. 

5. Freedom actually means something to me. The deep, deep irony of being someone who once used the term ‘freedom fries’ while simultaneously supporting people who want to take away the freedom of others (to control their healthcare, to marry and have sex with whom they want, etc. etc.) is not lost on me. The idea of freedom is vast. But for me, and I also think for a lot of you, freedom means choice and agency. Freedom is a safe and clean environment where we can all pursue our dreams. Freedom is at the core of what I am fighting for and why I want all of us to stay civically engaged. Because freedom is also something that can be taken away.

No one gets to own loving America. For me, it has always been not about loving objects, not about loving a flag, but loving the people who make up this country. It is about fighting for all of us to live the best lives we can, and at minimum, having a kick-ass fourth of July bbq.

Happy 4th from my home to yours.

• Emily