Since the onset of the Trump administration, the relationship between universities like Brown and the federal government has been adversarial. Characterized by funding fights, illegal campus encroachments and canceled programs, the past year has given many students on campuses across the country and at Brown reason to hold contempt for our federal institutions. And with the right wing’s co-opting of patriotism to promote blind allegiance, it’s no wonder that amid such heinous actions by our federal government only 41% of Gen Z Americans say they are very or extremely proud to be American.
But the right’s definition of patriotism — one that centers blind devotion, nationalistic chauvinism and cheap political signaling — is a falsehood. True love of country looks like an unwavering commitment to improvement, a dedication to rectifying the wrongs of history and a devotion to the democratic process. This vision is something young Democrats could — and should — get behind.
On July 3, 2025, one day before our nation’s birthday, Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson (R-La.), stood on the floor of the house and delivered a speech that lauded the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. He outlined how this legislation would lay a key “cornerstone of America’s new golden age.” He cloaked a bill that took an axe to America’s already paltry welfare system in patriotism. Yet, despite how deeply un-American the conservative right’s policies are, patriotic symbolism finds itself draped across the Make America Great Again movement. The symbols that are supposed to represent our country’s core ideals have been used as political pawns to deliver policy changes that take a wrecking ball to the ideals that shaped our nation’s founding. Embracing national iconography doesn’t justify attempts to disregard the constitution — it only displays that the right cares more about power, and the mechanisms to achieve that, than they do about truly living up to American ideals. Standing for the flag doesn’t hold the same meaning if you're burning down the institutions that make the symbol itself important.
Patriotism is not blind devotion, unlike what our president would want you to believe. At its essence, patriotism is about recognizing our failures and working tirelessly to live up to the values we espouse. This country was built off of slavery, genocide and extraction. Patriotism means recognizing this history and committing to doing better. The most deeply American thing one can do is to criticize our country in the hope of making it better. The right, in their gaudy displays of national symbolism, chooses form over substance. They appeal to simple visions of patriotism — the flag, an eagle, and “don’t tread on me.” They fail to engage in the substantive work of striving for progress by choosing instead to trade legitimate policy discussions for cheap political signaling.
In contrast to the right’s misappropriation of patriotism, the left has seemingly kept its distance from the word. Some activists have even noted that overt signals of patriotism are conspicuously absent from recent protests in Providence. Many on the left, after seeing “patriotic” rhetoric being co-opted by the right, have backed away from championing overtly patriotic symbols, instead conflating the audacious displays of national iconography with the hate and resentment the far right sows.
But it is the Democratic party’s history of action which most honestly embodies the meaning of the word patriotism. Our greatest progressive victories over the past century have come from deeply patriotic activism. Coming out of the grips of the Great Depression, Americans banded together to establish higher federal taxes, Social Security and minimum wage. These programs were not merely easily adopted, but were forged in struggle and implemented with a common vision towards a better tomorrow. Current activity from Democratic advocates follows a similar logic — large scale protest, massive campaign volunteer numbers and democratic engagement. The left is the true beacon of patriotic engagement in our current politics, yet Democrats fail to internalize this identity.
When the left cedes the ground of patriotism, they are not just rescinding claims to an important political playing field, they are also letting the right re-write what it means to be an America-loving patriot. For the long-term viability and potential of a political party and movement, it must be centered around a love of country and the desire to make it better by implementation of a bold vision. Without patriotism as our foundation, we're left arguing about policy details while the right controls the emotional narrative.
Students at Brown can be at the center of this reclamation of patriotism. We have organized protests and dared to envision a new world where our government is more supportive, accountable and honest. Students have fought for policy change in Providence and across the country. When we commit ourselves to a country with flaws, it is not an endorsement of past injustice, it is a commitment to answering for those wrongs and setting forward a better path.
If you’re appalled by the current administration’s actions or plagued by despair over our deteriorating reputation on the world stage, embracing true patriotism can be your form of resistance. It allows all of us to take forward a vision of what our country should be, and make it so.
Tommy Leggat-Barr ’28 can be reached at thomas_leggat-barr@brown.edu. Please send responses to this column to letters@browndailyherald.com and other opinions to opinions@browndailyherald.com.
