Following up on Julia Sisyphus's post, a new poll shows patriotism remains near an all-time high in America:

Whether or not “patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel,” as the British writer Samuel Johnson observed more than 200 years ago, it may be the first refuge of a broad cross-section of modern-day Americans, regardless of their ethnicity, religion or political affiliation...

The poll, conducted by the Roper Reports unit of NOP World, is based on personal and telephone interviews over several years. It found that 81 percent of Americans believed patriotism is “in,” meaning it is an important factor in their individual identities, compared with 14 percent of Americans who believed patriotism is “out.”

I wasn't aware that patriotism could be "in" or "out" like a fashion trend; one is reminded of Thomas Paine's thoughts on "sunshine patriots."

Nonetheless, it's always affirming to see an outpouring of positive feelings for my country. On the other hand, it's still refreshing to know that one may feel differently about Independence Day, as this week's editorial from AAN&I does. Dissent challenges us towards being a greater nation, ever-more deserving of adulation, because we can hope that Americans will never condemn our country to being a wasteland of broken promises and shattered dreams.