Patriotism is something that can also associate itself with sports. Patriotism can be affected by sports as well. Whether national teams are successful or not, they can influence how people feel about their nation. Another situation with sports is the domestic sports, and if players or teams are using them as platforms to share their patriotism or how people use it to deface the government and its institutions. Whether the sport is played domestically or internationally, both will still associate with patriotism. One example of this would be the events that occurred during last year’s NFL season, with players taking a knee during the national anthem. This caused an uproar involving the NFL as well as the U.S. government. Some players were faced with being cut from NFL teams because they simply wanted to express themselves on a nation-wide stage. They were protesting their views on societal inequities and police brutality/racial profiling and how the justice system decide upon those situations. These players can protest their views on whatever they want, but inside the stadiums and right before games is up to the league’s or the team’s discretion. One example of this was when Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said he would cut any player who protested on their team. However when the Steelers would not even come out of their locker room during the anthem in a 2017 game in Chicago, the Steelers executives were content with that. International sports teams also have an impact on patriotism because in whatever event they participate in, they are representing the skill, and prowess of their nation which contains a large amount of pressure.

One example of this would be the U.S. Olympic Team. Based on how well they perform at the games, it can inspire people to believe in the country and think that it is on a higher level than other nations that compete.

Another example is the U.S. National soccer team. They have lost many fans and inspiration recently after failing to qualify for the 2018 World Cup. They will have the chance to re-inspire their fans if they can qualify for the next World Cup in 2022 in Qatar. The U.S. is also fighting to cohost the 2026 World Cup with Mexico and Canada which will be voted on in June, and even though that seems like a while out it could be a chance to boost nationalism if we earn it, and our squad has a good showing. Although since it is co-hosted between three nations, they will share the games. However the USA will get the majority of the games including the final which is sure to be enough to boost tourism, our economy, and patriotism in the U.S. On April 27, President Donald Trump also tweeted towards countries who support us should also support our joint bid. His immigration policies pushed other nations away from our bid, but they should have enough support to oust rival bidder Morocco, who is pitied and far behind the U.S. in terms of infrastructure. Sports and patriotism can closely associate in any nation because of the major role sports play in media and economies throughout the U.S. and the world.

Patriotism is a big issue in society today. With the current political and national conditions, views of patriotism have changed. Junior Shubham Kamboj says, “I think that views of the government and the country have changed over recent years.” Many people have turned away from our government and its leaders after the 2016 presidential election which still has some students at IHS scratching their heads. However, your level of patriotism should not be decided on who is president or who holds office in the government, but rather your feelings toward the country. Some people now consider themselves unpatriotic because of the results of the presidential election. They should remember that it is not one person who runs our country; it is thousands. In the path of the election, many people have stopped talking to family or friends based on who they supported and who won. People should never let politics get in the way of friendships. Not letting politics interrupt your personal view on patriotism of the U.S. Patriotism is something you have based on if you love your country, not the government. If you well and truly love the United States of America, then you should be a great patriot. Freshman Trace Nangle says, “I love the U.S. and I feel like it is a great country, and therefore I consider myself a patriot.” Patriotism is still defined on the premise of if you love your country. You do not have to have to love our president or his staff, you just have to love our country. Sophomore Connor Marston says, “I love my country. I am not sure about the government though.” Patriotism can be confused with views on the government because people are so heavily thinking about who runs our nation over how great our nation actually is.

Patriotism is also about celebrating our nation’s patriotic holidays, such as Memorial Day, Veterans Day, and the obvious, Fourth of July. Memorial Day is considered patriotic because it is used to honor the men and women who have died in the armed forces, protecting our great nation. Similarly, Veterans Day is about honoring all of the men and women who served in the armed forces who are now retired or in another field of work. The obvious patriotic holiday, The Fourth of July, is about celebrating the day we declared independence against Great Britain. That day is usually the most popular of patriotic holidays to celebrate among students and their families. Nangle says, “My family celebrates The Fourth of July every year.” Celebrating these holidays is important as a U.S. citizen because it salutes those who served or still serve our country. It is to celebrate the men and women who sacrificed their lives to make this great country what it is today. All of these days are considered patriotic holidays because the purpose of them is to honor the people who helped shape the U.S. to where it is today.

Finally, patriotism in IHS is still alive and well. However due to recent events regarding gun control and school security, there have been new developments to some students. Nangle says, “I think that some people in this school have changed their views on the government and patriotism because of the way they think the government is handling these issues.” Moreover, many people still respect their country and continue to love it. Freshman John Benis says, “Right now, I think my country is doing everything it can for me.” Another way patriotism can be swayed is if someone believes their country is doing everything it can for them. If it is then they should consider themselves patriots because of that they now should have good feelings toward their nation. Feelings of patriotism at IHS are currently looking swell. Some students may not consider themselves patriots for valid reasons and that is okay. Others at IHS do consider themselves patriots because they believe in their country which is great. Patriotism is based on both facts you possess and opinions you develop about your country, and only you can decide if you want to be a patriot to your country or not.