I'm not sure what being a patriot means in Trump's America. Are you? Tell us.
Do you think our country is headed in the right direction? Are you worried about our democracy? Scroll down to tell us.
It seems you can't go anywhere the week of the Fourth of July without coming face-to-face with the Stars and Stripes.
Independence Day always ushers in a collection of red, white and blue words whose meanings have morphed over the years – hardening some as they seem to become more insidious and far removed from our Founding Fathers: patriotism, nationalism, freedom, liberty.
America.
I've been thinking a lot about what it means to be a patriot in this 2025 version of our American experiment – President Donald Trump's America, which more often than not seems so divorced from the ideals and the very Constitution I grew up revering. The things that made us American: freedom of speech, a melting pot of ideas, the pursuit of happiness.
Acceptance.
Should billionaires be running America? Is America's billionaire boom good for government, democracy? Tell us. | Opinion Forum
I'll be honest. I don't have any easy answers. And as we approach our nation's 249th birthday (though she doesn't look a day over 240), we want to know what you think. What does being an American, and being a patriot, mean to you?
Are you proud to be an American?
Do you think our country is headed in the right direction? Are you worried about our democracy? Amid this holy week of hot dogs and hamburgers, fireworks and flags on every corner, "America the Beautiful" and "God Bless the U.S.A.," are you proud to be an American?
Take our poll below or send us an email to forum@usatoday.com with the subject line "Forum patriotism." We'll publish a collection of opinions from all sides of the conversation. And stay safe out there this July Fourth.
Janessa Hilliard is the director of audience for USA TODAY Opinion and Opinion at Gannett.
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