If Americans Had to Fight for Their Country Today, Would They Do It?

As we honor those who have laid down their lives for our country this Memorial Day, some find it hard not to reminisce on times when right and wrong seemed easier to understand.

The heroism of Americans in World War II still captivates the world today, even 80 years after the fateful war. Our fascination with this time shows in that we are still making movies and books and telling stories of the heroes. Archaeologists are still searching for the remains of veterans who have not been returned home to honor those who gave their lives for the cause of freedom.

On this topic, it seems easy for all to agree on who was the good and who was the bad. There are few topics like that left to us today.

But what if we faced what they faced today? A Quinnipiac poll taken shortly after Ukraine was invaded by Russia asked Americans if they would stay and fight like the Ukrainians had. Only 55 percent said they would stay and fight for their country. Thirty-eight percent said they would leave the country.

This should be an alarming report. What could be the cause? For starters, in America, it has become the popular — even the noble — thing to do for us to criticize ourselves for anything good that we have accomplished. Instead of honoring the advances of our forefathers, it seems the stories are reduced to only highlighting our sins. In the woke culture, racism and colonialism have taken over our country’s origin story, disregarding the achievements in freedom that set the example for the entire world. No generation is without sin, but we have developed an obsession with hunting it out of the history pages, even among our heroes.

Who would want to fight for a country they are continually told is evil and broken? What happened to the day when elementary school children were inspired by the flag and the patriotic stories of our ancestors?

It is the responsibility of all those with a patriotic heart to fight harder than ever for the narrative being taught to our children. We must not allow an anti-Amerian culture to take root in our land, even though it shockingly comes from within. Schools and colleges must be held accountable. But perhaps the best way to protect the next generation from this misinformation is simply to take them on the porch swing with a glass of iced tea and tell them stories of our fathers and mothers.

This Memorial Day, let us tell our children the good. Let us honor what our country stands for. Let us honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for the freedoms we enjoy. And let us take on the mantle to carry that legacy and heroism into the next generation.

Of Memorial Day and Conversations With My Father