Study Shows Most Americans
'Not Patriotic Enough'
Post Atlanta Reporter
August 18, 2006
More than 68 percent of Americans need to be more patriotic, a recent study showed.
The phone poll, conducted by Jones Research Center in Atlanta, Georgia, surveyed over a thousand American adults, most of whom felt a distinct lack of faith in their government.
“The hard data we collected,” said Howard Steinberg, survey coordinator, “shows that most people need to start believing in their leaders.”
The first step in believing in the government, Steinberg says, would be "actually believing things they say."
“When President Bush says something, why not take him at his word?”
Many Americans, like unemployed software engineer Richard Hall, admit to having less than full faith in his government.
“I never thought about it that way,” Hall said. “After my little brother was sent to a war based on false pretence, my job was outsourced to India and I saw the tape of Bush being warned about Katrina, I got a little cynical. I guess I could try trusting them again.”
One part of the problem, Steinberg concluded, is the misleading liberal media.
“These damned leftist, commie papers and cable news networks can’t just relay what their government is trying to tell its citizens. We were fine after 9/11, but now they’re getting all uppity.”
Steinberg said people can work on being more patriotic individually.
“Why not go buy a flag this weekend? Put a 'Support Our Troops' ribbon on your car. That’s how real Americans participate in government.”
