Patriotism is Not Racism: How the Loss of Civics Education Fractured the American Family
I grew up in the 60s and 70s. In 1972, my second-grade teacher had us do a mock election between Nixon and McGovern. We couldn't just pick a name; we had to look her in the eye and explain why we chose them based on their platforms. My dad—a 50s Army vet—reinforced this by handing me a newspaper to read up on the debates. In 1980, my whole family drove to the polls together to vote for Reagan. We didn't all agree, but we respected the process.
Today, things look like a Facebook gang fight. The word "patriot" is thrown around like code for racism, and younger generations seem completely apathetic to the principles of "consent of the governed" and individual liberty.
I wrote an article breaking down how the intentional decline of K-12 civics education over the last 30 years created a vacuum filled by toxic social media algorithms. As Teddy Roosevelt once said, true patriotism means standing by the country, not a political party or a president. Our nation is an unstoppable, powerful force when we unite, but we can't do that until we reclaim our shared civic vocabulary.
Read the full piece here: https://substack.com/@patriciaoshierstepp/note/p-211380917?r=1sr6sh&utm_medium=ios&utm_source=notes-share-action
I'd love to hear your thoughts: Do you think bringing back robust civics classes can fix our modern political divisions? How did your family handle political disagreements growing up?