Opinion Patriotism Requires A Common Story

RALEIGH — Is a picture really worth a thousand words? In very online debates among very online people, the exchange rate is even more skewed. Case in point: a recent Wall Street Journal illustration generated tens of thousands of words of argument, invective, and speculation. The image in question depicted a dramatic drop in the share of Americans saying values such as patriotism and community involvement were “very important” to them. Regarding patriotism, for example, 70% of respondents in 1998 said it was very important, as did 61% as recently as 2019. This year, only 38% said so. Many commentators…