The 4th of July ought to be a day when we celebrate our Independence Day and the success of this American experiment. We keep saying it, because it's true, and because some leftists figures, organizations, and outlets need constant reminding. Among those looking to sow division included the Associated Press.
The article in question is titled "In a polarized US, how to define a patriot increasingly depends on who’s being asked," with such a headline only further polarizing the nation.
The term ‘patriot’ in America has become infused in political rhetoric and school curriculums, with varying meanings, while also being appropriated by white nationalist groups. https://t.co/UO2stwBz51
— The Associated Press (@AP) July 4, 2023
"It has become infused in political rhetoric and school curriculums, with varying definitions, while being appropriated by white nationalist groups. Trying to define what a patriot is depends on who is being asked," AP wrote early on in the piece about the word.
The piece goes for discussion on race in quoting Matthew Delmont, who is a historian at Dartmouth. Emphasis is added:
Opposition to government and dissent have been common features of how patriotism has been defined, he said. He cited the example of Black military members who fought in World War II and advocated for civil rights when they returned. They also saw themselves as patriots.
“Part of patriotism for them meant not just winning the war, but then coming home and trying to change America, trying to continue to fight for civil rights and to have actual freedom and democracy here in the United States,” Delmont said.
For many white Americans who see themselves as patriotic, “They’re thinking of other white Americans as the true definition of Americans,” Delmont said.
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The real crux, and the real problem, again comes down to polarization, when it comes to the article's discussion of "(f)ar-right and extremist groups." Such groups such as the KKK and individuals like Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh, are mentioned, but it goes downhill quite quickly.
This is especially when it comes to mention of the discredited Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC):
That extremist wave, which included Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh, faded in the late 1990s and early 2000s. But many such groups resurfaced when Barack Obama became president, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center, which closely tracked the movement.
Since then, many right-wing groups have called themselves “patriots” as they’ve fought election processes, LGBTQ+ rights, vaccines, immigration, diversity programs in schools and more. Former President Donald Trump frequently refers to his supporters as “patriots.”
There's no mention of how the SPLC could itself be regarded as a hate group, as it equates grassroots groups like Moms for Liberty with legitimate hate groups like the KKK. The SPLC may have been working with the Biden administration to target parents, as discussed by Tyler O'Neil of the Daily Signal. As O'Neil had also covered in February, the FBI cited the SPLC in targeting Catholic Churches. And let's not forget how a staff attorney for the SPLC was arrested in March for rioting against police in Atlanta.
When it comes to reporting from the AP, a main takeaway from the article is to focus on the negative connotation of the word. Again, these are the same people who warn about polarization.
The tweet was throughly ratioed, with many calling out how the outlet looked to sow division, and on such a day.
AP can’t even take a break from dividing Americans on Independence Day.
— Shawn Quinn (@ShawnQuinn83) July 4, 2023
Pathetic.
Headline says more about AP than the article’s subjects.
— Michael J. Lewis II (@MichaelJLewisII) July 5, 2023
Many in the journalistic/ivory tower social class look down on tradition, national sovereignty, & pride in western + liberal ethos. That does not give them license to demagogue and divide, which is what they’re doing.
I knew they would try this🔮
— Michael Damion (@Mikal_Dmon) July 6, 2023
Terms like Patriot are too unifying and could undermine their objectives.
We can't have unity in the United States of America.
This wasn't the only Tuesday tweet from the AP related to the holiday. They also tweeted out an article from two days before that included a few paragraphs about the meaning of the holiday, but mostly focused on fireworks. "The Fourth of July is Americana at its core: parades and cookouts and cold beer and, of course, fireworks," it began, with no mention of the meaning behind the day.
The following day, they tweeted out another article on polarization, "Conservatives go to red states and liberals go to blue as the country grows more polarized."
The Fourth of July is Americana at its core: parades and cookouts and cold beer and, of course, fireworks.
— The Associated Press (@AP) July 4, 2023
Here are five things to know. https://t.co/Gf5BwpTv6B
Americans are segregating by their politics at a rapid clip, fueling extreme polarization and the greatest divide between the states in modern history. https://t.co/Gtt70DaSvm
— The Associated Press (@AP) July 5, 2023
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