The Journal

Issue date: 3/2/06 Section: Opinion/Editorial

Trish Wallace

Patriotism in the United States, as evidenced by the recent Olympic games, is sadly waning. Because of contemporary U.S. foreign relations, patriotism suddenly has a poor reputation. It seems as if Americans are afraid to strongly support the nation without appearing narrow-minded or disrespectful of other cultures and forceful with our ideas. But does that mean we should neglect the victories and efforts of our greatest athletes? The 2006 Olympics closed Feb. 26 with American support greatly lacking.

For many in the United States, the Olympic games are the quintessential representation of the American dream. Regular, hard-working folks can become instantaneous heroes. Some train their entire lives for one chance at a sweet, golden taste of victory. Great examples of triumph have marked their pages in history. Sometimes the best tales are not necessarily of those who won, but of those who overcame the most for a shot at fulfilling their dreams. Isn't that the grandest testimony to the American dream?

Yet, here we sit. The Olympics are in the past and we have not been so much as fazed, let alone touched by our latest valiant efforts to make Uncle Sam proud. Negativity ruled the coverage of events and U.S. athletes this year. Speed skater favorite Apolo Anton Ohno stumbled and didn't make the finals in his first event. Alpine skier Bode Miller failed to medal. Figure skater Michelle Kwan bowed out of competition due to a previous strained ligament. The U.S. men's hockey team also did not place.

Grossly neglected, however, are the 25 medals America did earn. Our men might not have brought home a medal for hockey, but our women's hockey team earned a bronze. Sasha Cohen skated so well in her free style routine that after two falls, she still managed to hang on to a silver medal. Americans dominated snowboarding and speed skating, and placed in nine of the 15 Olympic sports.

Only Germany won more medals and took home more gold than the United States. This year, Americans earned nine gold medals, nine silver medals and seven bronze medals. We ranked second in Olympic final ranking. Is that not enough to be proud of?

I watched the Olympics and followed the results as much as I could. My dad is an Olympic guru, so our TV was tuned in to NBC for Olympic coverage every night. My dad can pretty much name when and where each Olympics were held, and some of the highlights. I was born during an Olympic year - as were my brother and sister. My dad was convinced one of us would become an Olympic champion. While my siblings and I have settled for athletic mediocrity, we rally our American spirit to cheer on our athletes for every Olympics.

Perhaps it is not only American apathy to blame for Olympic support. We are, after all, saturated with more general sports coverage daily than ever before. With the Internet, ESPN and Tivo, we have the opportunity to access any sport of our choice 24/7. So, why should it be expected we choose to watch cross-country skiing over voting for our favorite "American Idol" contestant? Perhaps outside factors affected American encouragement for this year's medal hopefuls and winners, but it's really a matter of heart. We don't seem proud to be an American anymore.

We, as Americans, seem to be under the impression that patriotism is something extreme, as if we cannot be proud of our nation and who we are without blindly following in step with the ideals of national leaders or without expecting the rest of the world to conform to American policies. Instead, patriotism can be a celebration of the freedoms and privileges under which our nation was founded. One such way is to respect those who have earned the right to represent us in the greatest athletic forum in the world.


Trish Wallace, a junior journalism major, is a staff writer for The Journal.

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