by Curt Kovener
With the 4th of July approaching on Monday, the personal-finance website WalletHub released a report on 2022’s Most Patriotic States in America.
Flag Day and Crothersville’s Red, White & Blue Festival just recently past, readers are not going to be too happy with where Hoosiers rank on the patriotism scale.
To determine where Americans have the most red, white and blue pride, WalletHub compared the 50 states across 13 indicators of patriotism. The survey looked at the state’s military enlistees and veterans, the share of adults who voted in the 2020 presidential election, civic engagement & volunteering and leading in their communities. Here are the nation’s Top 20 Most Patriotic States for you to take with a grain of salt…provided you are not on a low-sodium diet like me.
1. Alaska 2. Montana 3. Virginia 4. North Dakota 5. Oregon 6. Maryland 7. Hawaii 8. Vermont 9. New Hampshire 10. Iowa 11. Washington 12. South Dakota 13. Colorado 14. Delaware 15. Maine 16. Utah 17. North Carolina 18. Wyoming 19. Idaho 20. New Mexico
Where did Indiana finish on the stats for patriotism? That would be 44th…sixth from the bottom.
Can’t you just hear the Hoosier VFW and American Legion members starting to howl “Unfair”, “Fake News”?
Remember, the survey covered more than just flying the flag, having a “We the People…” tattoo, flying multiple flags of varying messages from your car, truck or motorcycle, or popping off fireworks on the 4th of July.
Surprisingly, (to Hoosiers, at least) the survey showed that blue states are more patriotic, with an average ranking of 24.92, compared with 26.08 for red states (1 = Best).
•Alaska has the most veterans per 1,000 civilian adults, 137, which is 2.7 times more than in New York, the state with the fewest at 51.
•New Jersey has the highest share of adults who voted in the 2020 presidential election, 78.30 percent, which is 1.5 times higher than in Arkansas, the state with the lowest at 54.00 percent.
•Utah has the highest volunteer rate, 51.20 percent, which is 2.0 times higher than in New York, the state with the lowest at 25.00 percent.
With Indiana’s low ranking in mind, here are some others’ thoughts on what patriotism means:
“The greatness of America lies not in being more enlightened than any other nation but rather in her ability to repair her faults.” ~Alexis de Tocqueville
“Patriotism is when you love your country regardless of who is in power; Nationalism is when hate for people other than your own comes first.” ~Charles de Gaulle
“Patriotism is not a short and frenzied outburst of emotion but the tranquil and steady dedication of a lifetime.” ~Adlai Stevenson II
“Heroism on command, senseless violence, and all the loathsome nonsense that goes by the name of patriotism—how passionately I hate them.” ~Albert Einstein
“True patriotism hates injustice in its own land more than anywhere else.” ~Clarence Darrow
“There is much more to being a patriot and a citizen than reciting the pledge or raising a flag.” ~Jesse Ventura
“Nationalism is a silly rooster crowing at his own dung.” ~Richard Aldington
“If we love our country, we should also love our countrymen.” ~Ronald Reagan
“To me real patriotism is like a real friend. Who’s your real friend? It’s the person who tells you the truth. That’s who my friends are. So you know, I think as far as our country goes, we need more people who will do that.” ~Bill Maher
“One tell-tale sign of a Wingnut: they always confuse partisanship with patriotism.” ~John Avlon