Even as elites dismiss patriotism, small-town ceremonies and Walter Berns’s Making Patriots remind us that liberty cannot survive without love for one’s country.

In my New England neighborhood, July 4th is a cherished tradition. Twenty children form an honor guard, parading briefly to lay a wreath at a tiny war monument. We raise the flag, recite the Pledge of Allegiance, and sing the National Anthem, followed by a local address. A friendly cleric once offered a benediction—activities that have yet to draw scrutiny from the ACLU.

This display of patriotism feels quaint by modern standards but remains deeply moving. It reminds me of my fortune as an American and prompts reflection on the political genius that forged liberty, as Lincoln called it, “the last, best hope of earth.”

Revisiting Berns’s Making Patriots, I found renewed insight. The late philosopher argues that patriotism, once a cornerstone of civic life, now faces decline among elites. Lincoln’s vision of patriotism—rooted in loyalty to the nation’s ideals—has been overshadowed by a culture that mocks or undermines it.

Berns highlights the unique foundation of American patriotism: not birthplace but principle. Unlike Spartan or Athenian traditions, American identity rests on freedom and popular sovereignty. The principles enshrined in the Declaration of Independence and Constitution define what it means to be a patriot—a “new order of the ages” inscribed on our currency.

Yet, educational institutions have eroded this foundation. Laws mandating cultural relativism in schools, such as Florida’s 1991 statute, risk undermining respect for America’s founding ideals. Berns challenges us to consider whether the private sphere can now sustain the civic education that once shaped patriots.

Patriotism, he insists, is not blind allegiance but a reasoned commitment to the nation’s principles. It demands defending the country, not merely parading flags or chanting slogans. As Berns’s work invites reflection, it underscores the enduring necessity of nurturing a people who cherish liberty through informed, principled loyalty.