GabeReber

ProfessorRobinKramer
CAS137H
27October2014
ProudToBeAnAmerican:HowPatriotismChangedPost9/11
ImaginewakingupforworkonaTuesdaymorning,andthen,3hourslater,getting
pulledoutofacollapsingbuildingbymultiplerescueteams.Imagineescapingthatdeathtrap
whileknowingthatyourcoworkersandcolleaguesthreefloorsuphadnochanceindoingthe
same.ImagineturningonCNNandwatchinganairlinercrashintotheveryfloorthatyour
fathersofficeresides.ThiswasarealityforthousandsofpeopleduringtheSeptember11
attacksonboththeNorthandSouthTowersoftheWorldTradeCenter,aswellasthePentagon,
theepicenterofAmericasDepartmentofDefense.Thishorrificeventwouldendupstickingin
peoplesmindsuntilthepresentday.
Inall,2,996peoplediedintheseattacks,including19menwhowerelaterknowntobe
hijackersofthefourplanesthatcrashed.Thismadetheseattackssomeofthemostdeadlyin
historyonAmericansoil.TheamountofunitythatAmericansshowedaftertheincidentwas
almostunfathomable.EvenothernationsstoodbytheAmericanpeopleintheirtimeofgrieving.
Post9/11,therewasachangeinthecollectivemindsetofournation:peoplestartedloving
Americatoahighdegree.ThiswasalovehadntbeenseenintheUnitedStatesfordecades.In
thewakeoftheSeptember11attacks,Americanpatriotismandnationalismbothskyrocketed
duetounityingrief,whichshowedinmanyofthesubsequenttrendsthatoccurredafterthe

attack.Thisleftusmoreunifiedandplantedtheseedsofotherspecificsocioculturalshiftsfor
yearstocome.
First,twotermsthatareoftenconfusedwitheachothermustbedefined:patriotismand
nationalism.GeorgeOrwellwroteanentireessayonthedistinctionbetweenthesetwoterms.
AccordingtoOrwell,patriotismcanbedefinedasdevotiontoaparticularplaceandaparticular
wayoflife(Orwell,1945).Withpatriotism,onebelievestheirowncountrytobethebestin
theworld,buttheyhavenowishtoforceonotherpeopletheirwayoflife.Nationalism,on
theotherhand,warrantsthenationalisttoforcetheiropinionsandcultureontootherpeople.One
classicexampleofnationalismtotheextremeisWorldWarII,especiallyNaziGermany.Tobe
clear,9/11mainlycausedanupwardspikeinpatriotism,notnationalism.
Americanshaventalwaysbeenstaunchpatriots,however.While,foralongtime,there
wasanideaofAmericanexceptionalism,thisnotiondidntpersistthroughoutallofthisnations
history.OneofthemostrelevantexamplesofalackofpatriotismwasduringtheCivilWar.
DuringtheCivilWar.Asizableportionofthecountrywasdisappointedenoughinitsdirection
thattheysecededfromtheUnion.While,afterreparationsmadeduringtheSouthern
Reconstruction,Americancitizensreturnedtosupportingtheirgovernment,thecountryitself
th
continuedtobearthescarofcivilwar.Later,inthesecondhalfofthe20
century,eventssuch

astheVietnamWarandtheWatergatescandalfostereddistrustfortheAmericangovernment.
Eversincethis,patriotismsortofbalancedout,stayingatneutrallevelsuntil9/11.
AftertheSeptember11occurred,thereneededtobesomesortofresponsefromthe
newlyinauguratedPresidentGeorgeW.Bush.Anymovehemadecouldwildlyaffectthe

outcomeofthisimpactfulevent.Thewayheinitiallyreactedtotheattacks,bydeclaringWaron
TerroronSeptember20ofthesameyear,wasmetwithalmostuniversalpraise.TheAmerican
peoplebackedthePresidentwithextremevigor,raisinghispresidentialapprovalratingtoa
staggering90%(Gallup,2014).Thisalmostperfectapprovalratingshowsthesupportthatthe
entireU.S.populationgavetotheirleader,aswellastheircountryingeneral.Onefactorof
patriotismisastrongbackingofyournationsgovernmentandtheirdecisions,andthisstatistic
istellingofaspikeinpatriotism.WhileformerPresidentBushsapprovalratingdeclinedover
timebecauseofhisspecifictechniquesinfightingtheWaronTerror,supportforthewarin
generalwasnearunanimous.
TheWaronTerrorwas,inmanyways,fueledbypatriotism.Whileitwasclearlateron
thatthereweremultiplemotivesbehindthismilitaryaction,thegovernmentplayeditoffinthe
beginningasastrikeofretribution.Inaverypatrioticsociety,thiswouldappealtopeoples
emotionstheirlovefortheircountryincreasedtheirdesireforreckoningagainstAmericas
wrongdoers.ThisaspectofpatriotismhadaverypositiveeffectonsocietalapprovaloftheWar
onTerrorbyAmericancitizens.AswehadseenintheVietnamera,enteringawarwithlittle
approvalcanbedamagingtomorale,aswellasapopulationsoutlookontheircountry.
Patriotismfueledthewarinamoretangibleway,aswell.After9/11,therewasasharp
spikeinmilitaryenlistment,whichremainedhighuntillaterinthedecade.Anotherchange
occurredinthedemographicsoftheenlisters,ofwhich22%werefromthewealthiest
socioeconomicquintile(Kane,2005).Before9/11,therichdidnotenlistnearlyasmuchasthey
didaftertheevent.Probablythemostdramaticchangeinenlistment,however,occurredin
peoplesmotives.Beforetheattacks,almostallofthoseenlistingcitedreasonssuchashavinga

fulltimejoborpayingforcollegeasreasonsforjoiningthemilitary.Afterwards,everyone
wasjoiningthemilitarytodotheirpartindefendingAmerica(Daniel,2011).Manywerealso
returningenlisterswhohadalreadyservedonactivedutybutfeltthecallingandobligationto
protecttheirnationoncemore.Theseyoungmenandwomenwerewillingtoputtheirliveson
thelineandmaketheultimatesacrificesolelyduetotheirheightenedsenseoflovefortheir
country.Thisshowsaquantifiableincreaseinpatriotism,aswellasitspower.
Inthesamevein,themilitaryalsostartedtoreceivemorerespectfromthegeneral
populationaswell.Nolongerweretheymostlymadeupofyoungpeoplejusttryingtoget
bynotthatthereisanythingwrongwiththat.Now,thesemenandwomenwerevolunteering
theirlivelihoodforthesakeofprotectingAmerica.Peoplewhodecidedtoenlistwerenowseen
asmartyrs.Thisshiftinrespectistellingbecause,beforetheattacks,themilitarydidnotreceive
nearlyasmuchpraise.Inthe60sand70s,forexample,somecitizenswereopenlyhostiletoward
soldiersbecausetheydidntagreewithwhatthemilitarystoodfor.Now,notonlywereenlisters
volunteeringthemselves,buttheywerevolunteeringforacausethatalmosteverybodycouldget
behind.Now,commercialsfortheUSArmyorotherbranchesofthemilitaryoftenplayon
peoplespatriotism,evokinganemotionalresponseinanattempttopersuadethemtojoin.Also,
videosofsoldiersmeetingtheirchildrenafteratourofdutyoftengoviral,usuallyaccompanied
withcommentsabouthowadmirablethemanorwomanistohaveserved.
TherehavebeenothershiftsinAmericanculturethatdontprimarilyhavetodowiththe
government.Forinstance,manymusiciansandartists,insteadofmakingworksofprotest,have
writtensongsandmoviesaboutAmericanpride.Forinstance,countryartistTobyKeithhas
almostbuiltanentirecareeroffofpatrioticsongspost9/11.Onefamousexampleofpatriotism

inasongisLeeGreenwoodsGodBlesstheUSA.Althoughwrittenin1983,itenteredthe
chartsin2001aftertheSeptember11attacks.ItwasalsorereleasedasasingleduringtheIraq
War,promptinganotherforayintothecountrymusiccharts.Otherpatrioticsongswrittenasa
responsetotheattacksincludeThatAintNoRag,ItsaFlagbyCharlieDanielsandOsama
YoMamabyRayStevens.Thiscontraststheprotestsongsthatusuallymakeupthetypical
musiciansrepertoire.
Also,manyfilmsweremadeaboutthecrisis,includingWorldTradeCenterbyOliver
Stone,whichpaintsthefirstrespondersinaverypositivelight.Thiswasadeparturefrom
Stonestypicalbodyofwork,whichincludespoliticallycontroversialfilmssuchastheantiwar
Platoon
andconspiracyendorsing
JFK
.ThetragedyconvincedevenOliverStonetosupporthis
country,whichwasatallfeat.Anothernotablemovieabout9/11is
United93
,directedbyPaul
Greengrass.Thiswasafilmaboutthetitularflight,whichwassavedfromhijackingby
passengersonboardtheplane.
Incorrelationwithlargeculturalshifts,thereweremanysmallindicatorsthatoccurred
afterandsincethetragedythatpointtoanincreasednationalism.Onesuchsmallbutvery
tellingtrendwastheincreaseinthedisplayofAmericanflags.Afterthetragedy,upwardsof
82%ofAmericansdisplayedtheircountrysflagontheirhouse,car,orperson(Skitka,2005).
ThistrendcontinuedthroughtheWaronTerroraswell.Thiswasanoutwardandobvious
displayofpatriotismandpridemadebytheAmericanpeople.Peopleparticipatedinsomuch
flagwavingafter9/11thatsomefounditsurreal.Someevenspeculatedthatitcouldve
beenamethodofintimidation,directedatourMiddleEasternenemies,domesticandabroad.

Displaysofpatriotismamongthepopulation,whileovert,werenotalwayspositive.
Sometimes,Americansveeredtowardnationalismintheirpridefortheircountry.Afterthe
attacks,publicopinionofMuslimandArabpeopleschangeddrastically.Therearoseanotable
wearinessofMuslimsingeneral,eventhoughtheMuslimcommunitywasjustashorrifiedby
thetragedyaseveryoneelse.HatecrimesbecameverycommonacrosstheU.S.,withvandalism
andassaultshappeningdaily.Tragedystruckwhen,inArizona,49yearoldBalbirSinghSodhi
wasshotandkilledoutsideofhisplaceofworkonly6daysaftertheSeptember11attacks
(CNN,2001).Ironically,themanwasnotevenaMuslim,butaSikh.Sikhmenwereoften
targetedbyhatefulandprejudicedmembersofsocietybecauseoftheirtraditionalheadwear,a
turban.ThephrasetowelheadbecamecommonamongbigotedAmericansindescribing
Muslims.ThesepeopleoftengroupedallMuslims,extremistsincluded,intooneentity.Mosques
wereattackedinTexas,andMuslimfamilieswerethrownintoastateoffeartheynowhadto
liveeverydaywonderingiftheywouldbeassaultedforbeingMuslim.Whilethesepeople
consideredthemselvespatriots,theyinnowayfitthedescriptionofatruepatriot:invariable
supportofonesnationandallofitsactions.Ifonedoesnotsupportthediversityandreligious
freedomthatAmericasofamouslyoffers,theyhavenorighttochristenthemselvesapatriot.
Inthe10+yearssincetheattacksontheWorldTradeCenter,wehaveexperienceda
slightdeclineinoverallpatriotism,butithasremainedhigh,whichisapparentinourculture.
ManypeopletaketosocialmediatocelebrateallthingsAmerican.Thisisoftenaccompaniedby
thetaglineMurica,adialectinfluencedphoneticspellingofourcountrysname.Youcanfind
manyTwitterfeedsandFacebookgroupslaudingMuricaandallitscommonplaces,suchas

guns,beer,andfootball.Culturalpatriotismsuchasthisasremainedaliveevenintheyouth,
who,historically,tendtobetheleastpatrioticofanyagegroup.
MuchhaschangedintheUnitedStatesdirectlyduetothehorribletragedythatoccurred
thatfatefulSeptembermorning.Fromnationalsecurityimplementationstoeconomicpitfalls,
thereisnodoubtthattheattackshavehadalastingimpactonthenation.TheAmericanpeople
experiencedthesechangestogether,allatthesametime.Everybodyrememberswheretheywere
whentheyfirstturnedonthenews,andeverysharedintheinitialpanicanduncertaintythat
permeatedthroughthenationaswell.9/11providedashared,tragicexperiencethatAmericans
couldrallythemselvesaround.Thisprovidedanew,collectivepatriotismthatfueledthe
retaliationintheMiddleEast,aswellasthehuntforterroristleaderssuchasOsamaBinLaden.
InthewordsofformerNewYorkCitymayorRudolphGiuliani,
"TheattacksofSeptember
11th

wereintendedtobreakourspirit.Insteadwehaveemergedstrongerandmore
unified
.
ThecountryhadntexperiencedsuchacollectivepassionforAmericaforaverylong
time.Americancitizenshadtakenoneoftheworsttragediesintheirnationshistoryand
transformeditintoanactofunification.Ultimately,whatwasintendedtoterrorizetheUnited
Statesonlyservedtostrengthenthemthroughthesocialbondofpatriotism.

WorksCited
Gallup.PresidentialApprovalRatingsGeorgeW.Bush.N.d.Rawdata.U.S.A.,n.p.
"HateCrimeReportsupinWakeofTerroristAttacks."
CNN
.CNN,17Sept.2001.Web.26Oct.
2014.
Kane,Tim,Ph.D.
TheDemographicsofMilitaryEnlistmentAfter9/11
.Rep.N.p.:Heritage
Foundation,n.d.Print.
Orwell,George."NotesonNationalism."N.p.,May1945.Web.24Oct.2014.
Skitka,LindaJ.
PatriotismorNationalism?UnderstandingPostSeptember11,2001,
FlagDisplayBehavior
.Diss.UofIllionoisatChicago,n.d.N.p.:n.p.,n.d.Print.

U.S.U.S.DepartmentOfDefense.AmericanForcesPressService.
Defense.gov
.ByLisaDaniel.
N.p.,8Sept.2011.Web.24Oct.2014.