tomorrow morning at 7:00 a.m. eastern and we hope you are too. [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2023]

♪ host: 247 years ago today, july 4, 1776, the 56 delegate of the continental congress in philadelphia pledges their lives, fortunes and sacred honor in ratifying the declaration of independence, severing the 13 colonies'attachment to britain and sparking the revolutionary war and creating as abraham lincoln would famous state -- famously state in 1863, a new nation conceived in liberty and

dedicated to the proposition that all men are reading. good morning and happy independence day, july 4, 2023. "washington journal welcome to." the entire program this morning, we will talk about patriotism, do you consider yourself to be patriotic? here are the lines to use in the eastern and central time zones. do you consider yourself to be patriotic and why, maybe what patriotism means to you. if you want to talk about how you or your family and friends are celebrating this fourth of july, we welcome that as well.

we will talk to a number of radio talkshow hosts from around the country to hear how things are going in their communities across the country, the news that's important in those communities and how they are celebrating the fourth of july in some of those places across the country but first and foremost, we want to hear from you. do you consider yourself patriotic? join the conversation. we will also read a number of opinion pieces and editorials and surveys about patriotism, about the july for holiday and more throughout the program this morning. we will also hear from folks we talked to on the national mall throughout the week in washington, d.c., asking them much the same question, do you feel patriotic.

we will get to those in just a bit. there is an organization that does economic surveys and a lot of popular economic surveys in their latest survey is the most patriotic state in america. this is published last week and they write that americans may feel their patriotism dampened this year in the face of societal issues like relentless high inflation and elevated homicide rates. many people find it hard to celebrate a country where countless people are struggling and frequent violence persists. an expression of love for fellow citizens is patriotic in itself. wallethub says --

we will look more at that later on as well. do you feel patriotic? we will take a couple of calls here in here from joe in north georgia. welcome to "washington journal." there you are. go ahead, you are on the air. caller: i've been calling you for 30 years and i love c-span. i love america and we have a bunch of patriots down here and we are celebrating july the fourth and we have a meeting on

july 8. we have the president of the freedom caucus coming to speak so we are fired up and we love america and there is a tremendous amount of patriots in north georgia in my town. i love c-span and i've been calling your network for 30 years and you are doing a great job. host: janice is next up, calling from alexandria, virginia. caller: hi, yes, thank you for c-span. i consider myself patriotically because i do believe in our democracy and the freedoms we have. host: how will you spend today? caller: we are going to see the fireworks so close to washington, d.c. and we will have a barbecue. host: great to hear from you this week. we are out on the streets and talking to folks along the national mall in the nation's capital. we talked to visitors and

residents of washington about patriotism, here is a look. >> i am from olympia, washington. >> do you consider yourself to be patriotic? >> i think so, yes. >> what does being patriotic mean to you? >> it's that you -- [indiscernible] we celebrate it. >> i'm from texas. >> i'm jake from texas as well. >> yes, i consider myself patriotic. to me, it means we are here in america and we love it here and we respect everyone else and all of our presidents, too. >> i consider myself patriotic as well. i love the country and the

freedoms we have. we are a safe and secure country and we are on a road trip from texas to new york and i'm showing my grandson all the stuff and the memorials that a been made to our patriots and stuff and the sacrifices they in your -- they may. >> i'm going into the naval academy and i consider myself patriotic. being patriotic to me is doing your civil duty like voting and being a part of those that came before us. do your service to the country. that's what i consider patriotic. host: on this fourth of july, independence day, asking you this morning, do you consider yourself patriotic?

let's hear from ronnie in new york city, good morning. caller: good morning, everyone. happy fourth of july. i am so excited i'm able to speak to you right now. i watch the "washington journal" every single day for years and years. i'm a first-time caller. host: glad you got through. caller: me, too. i consider myself very patriotic, military family, classic story of growing up in the suburbs in a beautiful place .

i've enjoyed everything that's great about america. i could go on and on and everyone who calls and everyone calls in today will mention all of the great things and not everything will get mentioned. i just hope that people have a wonderful holiday and thank you for c-span. host: it's interesting listening to your voice, you talk about patriotism and patriotism to you sounds like not an obligation but an emotion and one you love to feel each july for and other times as well. caller: absolutely. i'm glad that i can look out my window watch the fireworks over the east river and it's just amazing. host: enjoy that. one of the other networks will

cover that view of new york city as they often do. thanks for weighing in and will go to alex from washington state, good morning caller: good morning, guys. it's great to be here. thanks are having me. i just want to say that patriotism to me ultimately comes down to america being a melting pot and we have all the races and religions and creeds and what's important is that we all have a form of democracy which means we can ultimately come together and sort of like have a voting power where the best idea win, where it's not a complete dictatorship. the main thing is we celebrate the different cultures and ultimately, when you look at the founding fathers, we get it to where we can celebrate people in

the government works for us and we hope at the end of the day that they have the best ideas put forth. ultimately, america really is about people coming in and having an opportunity for freedom. at the end of the day, hopefully the irs doesn't waste their money. host: we will go to mary in tennessee. do you consider yourself patriotic? caller: yes, i really do now more than ever. my husband was a corporal in the marines i want to say happy independence day to all of the veterans. i just really hope that they enjoyed today's holiday and happy independence day and thank you for our freedom. host: this is an opinion piece

from the news out of utah.

let's hear from donald in alexandria, virginia on this fourth of july. caller: hi, first i want to say thanks for c-span. i don't have a complicated statement you just read that my patriotism is based in the declaration of independence and the principles it set forth. as such, i am not a white

nationalist but i welcome brothers of white and yellow and pink nationalists. all of them. i would like to correct one thing and add to the discussion of yesterday. the founding fathers signed the declaration of independence must have remembered that the gentleman, the leaders involved in the rebellion were allhung at the end of the rebellion. they put their lives on the line when they signed that document. the rebellion was based on the incursions on the edge of the settlement. for that to be part of the reason for the rebellion, i think is a reasonable part of history. that's all, thanks. host: earl is up next calling

from albion, idaho, do you consider yourself patriotic? caller: yes, i consider myself patriotic. i am working this independence day because i don't feel like we should be celebrating it until our national debt is paid off which is in the trillions of dollars. host: that taints how you feel about this day in particular? caller: yes, we need to solve this national debt and have it paid off and we should not be celebrating certain days of the year. we need to get this country back to work and get ourselves out of this debt. host: where will you work today? caller: on the farm, putting up a. host: how many hours will you put in today? caller: it never ends.

host: enjoy the day outside of your work and thank you for calling. we will go to fredericksburg, virginia on the line. caller: mi patriotic? no. am i completely put up with america, 100%. the politicians in america are, in my personal opinion the worst group of people that live on the planet and have really taken us into a horrible place in the gentleman who just spoke to my farmer is an example of everything we have to break ourselves against. 32 trillion in debt in four years from now it will be 50 or $60 trillion in debt and in my personal opinion, the democratic party is totally corrupt. we have biden by the neck.

we have his son by the neck but we are not doing anything about it. he always says i know you did but what did you do? i am not a trump guy and i'd like to see trump go down as anybody go down. if you are in the arena politicians and you are not 100% above board and doing the right thing for the people of the united states, then you should be taken out. i think we live -- i think america is probably the most corrupt nation in the world and i don't think we will get any better whatsoever. we are a wild west, lawless country and with the greatest migration that has ever taken place in the history of mankind which was under biden, it was totally on purpose. nobody even put up an attempt to stop it. all you guys who say that we are a free country and let the poor

come in, no, absolutely not if you're going to have dinner and invite people to dinner, make sure you have enough food to feed the maybe six or seven people you invite to dinner versus -- i think there are countries in our world that are claiming we have close to 600 million people and not 300 some odd million. and there are people who are claiming we have over 100 million illegal immigrants. all the money you saved -- host: you think it's closer to 600 million people in the united states than 330 million people? caller: i think if i found out that obama was not from this country, i wouldn't be surprised. i found out the cia killed people, i would not be surprised. if i found there were six or million people in the united states, i would not be surprised.

i think we are being taken advantage of. i think this is all a plan, a world type plan. i don't know who put it in the process but we are going down. host: migration was mentioned and this is from the new york times --

our july 4 question for you is

do you consider yourself patriotic? the lines are regional -- next up is will in atlanta, georgia. hi there. caller: good morning and i appreciate taking my call. i am patriotic. my family one this nation and mortal combat in the revolutionary war. that's the inheritance all americans have. i really do love americans, the first people who showed up and have my family name and i still have it. we made dish we received this country in covenant with a deity and test thomas jefferson laid it out and i suffered from not knowing jesus was god.

he spells out the deity and creator of existence. i'm an old man now and was in the army in 1968 believing the lies of traders but america as the bible is denoted as the promised land. called israel be gathered in zion fulfill there were 10 signs given by the deity and prophecy and america's the only country in the world that fulfills all 10 of them, no other country does. to be israel doesn't mean to spell it right, it means you have to be a new nation established by gentiles. we are white from the hebrew slaves. host: so only those you are describing are welcome in america? caller: no, i say to everybody. it comes under the new promised

land but we have to be ruled by truth and justice with god as their king and trump really emulates that that's where constitution is framed by 18 forms of the word capital e elect which bite definition means chosen by god. we are supposed to emulate the deity and is only one god and it turns that's jesus christ. the deity was worshiped but the stars and sky is only one entity that put the stars in the sky. host: wouldn't you say the constitution lays out who will rule america, laying out the executive branch, the legislative branch and the judicial branch? those are the rulers, if you will, the leaders of the newly formed nation, the constitution not ratified until 1789. wouldn't you agree that those are the rulers of the united states? caller: those are the representatives.

we are a tripartite government with the three branches but everybody can government is supposed to be emulating the deity because god is perfect at all times. we are all made in god's image. host: we will go to arkansas, janet is on the line -- do you consider yourself patriotic? caller: i am the most patriotic person i know. my husband was 30 years air force, a veteran, got in contact with agent orange and in vietnam and died as a result. we married 60 years. i wear red white and blue everywhere i go. i say god bless america and god bless you. i just want to say don't give up on our country, the best country

in the world. i am first of all a christian, and second of all, i am a conservative republican but i love all people. i love all races. i've never been prejudice. we are all the same under god's eyes. yes, i am very patriotic and i love america. i say god bless you and god bless america, everywhere ago. i am carrying forward my husbands 30 years of service in the air force and he died april 8, 2022 and we found out it was partly the result of the agent orange. yes, i love america, don't give up on america. god is in charge and he will get us through. host: thank you for your call.

our condolences on the loss of your husband last year. throughout the program, we will talk to radio talk show hosts from around the country and up first this morning, we will go to jacksonville, florida and meet ed dean eight talkshow host at 600 wbob. welcome to "washington journal." guest: thank you so much, what a pleasure. host: tell us about your show on wbob, when are you on and what is your audience like? guest: we do the morning show them we are syndicated throughout the state but we brought cast on talk radio all morning from six-9 a.m. and is the morning drive and is very entertaining and the reason why is people want to get on the road and he to hear stuff and the biggest thing is they want to make sure the world didn't blow up and we deal with issues.

you think of florida but when you live in florida, there is not any difference between the nationalist use because they are in the same in florida. host: are you doing it this morning on july 4? guest: no, we have a best of show going on so it worked out well. host: we are talking to a broader audience on television about patriotism. tell us about your own thoughts on july 4. guest: july 4, 1776, you remember what happened with our constitutional fathers but unfortunately, it's become almost like christmas. we recognize it as the birth of christ when we talk about it, it's more about retail and what can we get and today we think about barbecues but it would put it in the proper perspective, it's about what happened with our founding fathers and the constitution. sometimes like our other

holidays, it's secondary to what takes place in society today. host: jacksonville is a great seat to watch the republican side of the primary race for 2024. your states governors ron desantis and former president donald trump down a1a in mar-a-lago. gives a sense of what your audience says about the race between those two. guest: it's like the wrestlemania event has begun. i have big trump supporters here and summer dissent to supporters. i tell the audience to focus on the issues. not the individual but the issues, what are the pros and cause -- and cons and do you see desantis as the next generation. you can win a primary but can you win a general election in

those issues come up as well. when you look at the numbers, a lot of people say it's a state-by-state issue in the national polling numbers show trump winning but he could lose to biden and you look at arizona in pennsylvania and desantis actually beats biden area the issue will still be a sweet state even though republicans are dominating this date. i think a lot of it has picked up like in august and september, it's really going to get heated if it hasn't already. host: ron desantis has been on the stump in several states, testing the waters in iowa and new hampshire and elsewhere. he is touting his record as governor of florida. in general, how do you think his record is viewed by your listeners? guest: i think covid finds him. you got a governor who did better than trump did in 2020 but he won 20% and he wanted

districts where republicans had not one. cap palm beach county which is a haven for those on the democratic side. the governor talked about covid and he talked about the school shut down any resonated with parents. he won the independents and democrats which is what you need to win in florida and the general election. he put out a plan and i think he resonated with a lot of parents on the issue of education and that really propelled him to a landslide which we haven't seen in some time in florida. host: do you think he resonated with folks in his fight with disney over a number of issues? guest: i don't think the disney fight helps him. i think the issue about whether or not gender identity, that resonated on top of school shutdowns. children are now back.

you talk to moms out there and you just don't anger mama bears, they are the lifeline of families and education and when mom says my children are behind in my school board is not doing anything and on top of this, this really resonated with a lot of school districts with the governor's endorsements, nonpartisan races that school races should not have gone to. there are conservative outlets out there in the governor's numbers did quite well because of the law and the education issue and it just piled up in a lot of voters who are moms set enough with this, i want change. host: carol leadoff hitter on "washington journal," ed dean in jacksonville, florida. if you are out of the state of florida,, how can folks hear your show? guest: we are statewide in florida.

it's wbob.com and florida daily.com. you can download the app and listen to us there. host: thanks for being with us this morning. happy fourth of july this morning. guest: thank you, sir. host: starting the morning, asking if you consider yourself patriotic. here are the lines to weigh in -- let's get back to a couple of calls, renee is in charlotte, north carolina, happy fourth of july. caller: how are you, good morning.

i was flipping through channels and i saw this. i want to know what being patriotic is. i am patriotic to the united states. i am patriotic to my constitution. but i cannot be patriotic when i see things happening in america that we fought for, this flood of immigration, this flecks of giving money away to ukraine. how can i be patriotic for my own country when i see everyone is taking advantage of it? are we fighting with the republicans and the democrats and the independents and how they base everything on social issues. i'm very conservative's and dez conservative as an african-american woman and i like some of the things the democrats do but not all. i liked things the republicans

do but i sit in the middle because i see a lot of things, particular the politicians in america, not the american people, i am just fed up. i don't know what to do. republicans are talking about immigration and do something with immigration but yet they are allowing them to come into work for some of these companies that are run by republicans in the same of the democrats. i am really disappointed in america. host: do you think either political party should own patriotism? is that something you feel the political parties are trying to capitalize on for their own interests? caller: i don't think neither one of them are patriotic. they throw the word around a lot

but they need to be patriotic to the people. to those who are american bread, i think what's happening now is everyone, you have people coming in. we've been here for years and my thing is i think america needs to do a reset and figure out what it wants to do. i don't think america is smart enough to figure that out. i'm in my 50's but i remember bicentennial commercials on tv talking about how america was and what america is. america is an open door for everyone to come in but we are being taken advantage of. i cannot be patriotic if i see a country being taken advantage of. we are taxpayers and we give a

lot of money away to different countries. we shouldn't be a purse for everyone. host: what's the biggest piece of the country you think needs to be reset? caller: i think citizenship should be reset. i think immigration should be reset and i think the deficit should be reset. you have to get people in office who were not old. there is a lot of old politicians that need to be gone. get new politicians, young conservatives. and it really care for the democrats too much. i was a democrat years ago but i'm done with that. i think you have to get people in their will have the mindset only for america. doing things for america. host: she mentioned the bicentennial celebrated by this

country in 1976. that celebrated 200 years of america's independence. this is a story about the 250th anniversary coming up not that many years away, 2026. the arts section of the new york times this morning --

we were out on the mall this past week asking visitors and others if they felt patriotic. >> i'm from the west coast from

l.a. >> do you consider yourself patriotic? >> yes, i do. >> what is being patriotic mean to you? >> it's loving your country in enjoying where you come from and engaging in the culture in your area and visiting all of what the usa has to offer. >> we are from new jersey. >> and you consider yourself patriotic? >> yes, by all means. >> what does being patriotic mean to you. >> being patriotic means serving the country, serving the people, looking out for one another. it's that kind of thing. >> i agree. >> i'm from north carolina.

>> [indiscernible] >> do you guys consider yourselves patriotic? what does patriotic mean to you? >> means we celebrate [indiscernible] and they gave us our freedom. >> it's celebrating [indiscernible] >> [indiscernible] >> [indiscernible]

host: our july for conversation on "washington journal," do you consider yourself patriotic? a of comments on social media -- we couldn't let july 4 go without a tweet from senator grassley. it is soon up next in ohio,

happy fourth of july. caller: hello? host: make sure you mute your volume and go ahead with your comment. caller: i am patriotic. every time i hear the star-spangled banner, i get chills all over. i love america, it's the greatest country anyone can live in. i had five brothers that all served in the military, i'm proud of them, proud of our country but i'm not proud of how was then in the last two years. i think it's really bad that we have a department of justice that's hiding all this crime and i think that all needs to be corrected. i think our president is sick and he needs to be out of office and his wife and family should be ashamed for making him look like he looks.

we need our country and we need a strong president. i love president trump i like ron desantis. tim scott, they are great people and i hope some of them get in and straighten our country out because presidents had our country going good. host: on to angela in virginia, do you consider yourself patriotic? caller: good morning, happy fourth of july, yes, i am very patriotic and i fly our flag outside my house every day and i take it down during storms. my husband is a 32 year veteran of air force, and i am an army wife. one thing i am concerned about are the people coming into the country. are they loyal to the country and they -- and do the

understand what we've gone through? with my family coming out to shore somewhere in north carolina during slavery and all the things my family has gone through, we are a large family and a happy family, homeowners and grandparents and even world travelers. i give all of that credit to being born in the united states it afforded us the opportunity to do all those things even under the sorry institution worldwide historic institution of slavery which is not an american thing. it was brought over here by the british and our country dissolved it. that's a testament to her country and it shows the

dedication to the idea that all men are created equal. our country prove that by fighting a war against slavery in our country is something dead did something nor the country has done so i am patriotic area host: good to hear from you from ohio. she mentioned the star-spangled banner and how she gets emotional every time she hears it. last year and our program q&a spoke to the university of michigan musicology in american culture professor. he talked about the significance of the star-spangled banner and the verse we sing. there is a short part of that conversation. guest: part of what makes the verse so perl is how it tells the story of t btle. he i witnessing his own america and they are transferred backo the ship and he is under guard but he's on americash. he is watching this bombardment overnight and is just horrific. bomb after bomb and hundreds of

munitions were hurled at the fort. they fortunately did not land with devastation. it had a devastated impact but there were very few casualties. it is sort of em in the land. they were pretty resistant to these attacks but he saw the rockets and bombs. when you hear the high notes that are difficult to sing in the star-spangled banner, that's the moment of tension for him. he heard these explosive conditions hurled at the american defenses and knowing the risk the soldiers had in facing these attacks. that is there and i think the flag becomes the symbol of what the results of that battle are. an interesting time to think back to 1814. there was no electronic communication there was certainly no twitter or radio and no radar, all those things

we think of today, this is a time when there's very little information. the only thing we know is if the flag as there were not so that's the critical question that represents who is in control and whether the nation has a future. the first verse ends with a? we think of it today is sort of representing this powerful nation we became. in 1814 we were particular a powerful nation in the british walked into our capital city and we were unable to repulse them and they were basically attacking cities along the eastern seaboard at will. this was a visionorhat he hopes the country will be so the questionark is the powerful notion of whether we will le up to the example of patrick henry and will we be the land of e ee and the home of the brave? it's interesting to think about the question mark which was

literal but also symbolic and for us to bring this around again, it asks that question and will we have the curs to participate? to me that is a call to citizenship especially in the first verse. host: a take on our national anthem. happy fourth of july on "washington journal," asking you whether you consider yourself patriotic. it is the 200 47th birthday of the united states, day on which the declaration of independence was ratified by the continental congress and presidential trivia on twitter points this out about the fourth of july. unusual circumstance or coincidence, july 4, three of the first five presidents died on the fourth of july.

john adams and thomas jefferson famously died on the same day and also james monroe died july 4, 1881. -- 1831. let's go to lodi, california, happy fourth. caller: good morning, can you hear me? host: yes, we can. caller: i am a naturalized citizen and i am proud to be an american. people don't realize when you come from other places and then you live in the u.s. you realize the freedom you have. american people most of the time taken for granted. in fact, i just came from a trip abroad and simple things like an elevator that doesn't work and i hope tell, that wouldn't have happened in the u.s. because they respect a disabled person that you have a life. out there, you don't.

don't have the right to assembly that's what bothers me when i see people, the police now in terms of the woke people trying to silence other people. you have the right to defend other people the next the only other place in the world where you have that freedom. you have the freedom to be a good person or a bad person and this did not exist in america. i am proud of the flag that we have. as a black person, i would never kneel in front of the flag and i don't care for any of that because it's valuable to me. i respected my think of her but he should.

there was a woman kneeling in front of the flag and when she returned, she stood up and she understood that no matter much money you have or who you are, you have no value. the only place that respects you is the usa. this is the greatest country on earth. host: how long have you been a citizen of the united states? caller: 28 years. i will tell you that everybody should go and leave the u.s. and learn and when you come back, you will have a respect for the country. you will be more loyal. you will appreciate the sacrifice and you will be willing to do your own sacrifice no matter what the country because this is the greatest country in the world host: thank you for your call. we will go to ann calling from jamaica, new york. caller: good morning.

i don't consider this a great country. i am not patriotic. i happen to be an african-american woman in my 80's in america is not lived up -- it could be a great country but i don't see it as a great country. i was born in jim crow south. i don't celebrate july 4. host: have you not celebrated it all your life? caller: since i've been an adult, i don't really celebrate it. i celebrate juneteenth. i have no reason to celebrate july 4. the racism in america now what the supreme court has done, i just find america is very hypocritical country, very hypocritical. everybody is about this great flag. this flag is racist it is absolutely a racist country. for me it is.

my grandparents couldn't even vote in this country. everybody is saying what a great country this is. my grandpa couldn't even vote in this country. host: does your family feel much the same way as you do? caller: a lot of my family do. i would not even have a barbecue and say what a great country this is. my grandfather, none of them could vote in this country. none. my great great grandparents were slaves in this country. they work for zero. host: i'm glad you got through this morning and thanks for being part of the conversation here on "washington journal." we are joined on this fourth of july -- july morning next by the

editor-in-chief and chief columnist for the michigan advance, joining us from lansing, michigan. good morning and happy fourth of july. guest: good morning thanks for having me. host: tells about the michigan advance. what is the paper's general thrust and who are your readers? guest: we are a nonprofit newsroom may cover the state capital in michigan. we cover politics, policy and people in michigan and try cover underserved communities. host: as you been hearing, we've been talking to our viewers and our listeners about patriotism and if they consider themselves to be patriotic. a wide range of views as always on this program. what does patriotism mean to you personally? guest: for me, independence day and being patriotic is about the promise of america. it's the promise of freedom and

liberty and equality. the promise has not been fully realized. that's true in the 260 years since our country has been founded and it's something that we continue to fight for today. host: you consider your general thrust is a columnist to be a progressive viewpoint? guest: yes. host: where the issues you've covered recently in the statehouse and your governor gretchen whitmer is the current governor. she has been mentioned by some folks as a potential 2024 presidential candidate with a lot of attention on her in the democratic party. guest: yes, and also the democratic legislature for the first time in 40 years. there's been a lot of movement on progressive issues and

guaranteeing lgbtq rights, right to work laws for labor union members and by getting rid of our 1931 abortion ban. we've been going in a very different direction than other states in the country like tennessee and florida. they had moved very far to the right. host: do you think the president's reelection bid, president biden's reelection bid, he won the state and 2020's aware is the state politically? you mentioned the democratic legislature so which way is michigan swinging right now? guest: we are still a purple state but it says a lot in the midterm elections with a democratic president that we went so hard democratic and 2022 which surprise an awful lot of pundits. gretchen whitmer was reelected

and we have the democratic secretary of state and both houses are under democratic control as our eric u.s. senators. we are a purple state that liens blue and that's to the advantage of president biden. host: what are some of the other state issues that we should know about in michigan that are making news in lansing and elsewhere in michigan? guest: recently, lawmakers passed a ban on conversion therapy for lgbtq children. that stands in sharp contrast to some of the drag bands and the bands on transgender care we've seen in other states. we have also invested a lot in education mostly with surplus. i would say one thing that's up coming is it probably about

climate change and environmental issues. we are the only state in the great lakes basin so these issues are important for michiganers. host: what will the celebration look like at the state capitol today and tonight in terms of july 4. guest: we have a very strict fireworks loss of those people haven't celebrated in quite a while. a lot of the cities will be having their celebrations. a lot of times people do it before the fourth of july but we had a nice holiday weekend. host: the publication is the michigan advance. you can follow them online and read their reporting and michigan advance.com and thank you for joining us and happy independent day. guest: thank you, you two. host: continuing on, let's go on to illinois, john.

you are next. caller: bill, we have talked before. mike could then chose of being patriotic is i talk to my grammar school buddies into joining the marine corps and we all went togod bless the unitedf america for that. bill, what president eisenhower said about patriotism is that it is a sense of duty and feeling of obligation. they are the mobile -- noblest and most necessary qualities of any democratic system. i think for 270 -- 247 years we have been trying to do that. for the lady in new york, god bless her and i want to remind her that she has a baby in the

greatest country in the earth. and rebroadcast the lady from california because she was eloquence. i do not know what to say. but i believe that this is the shining city on the hill, and god darn it, everybody wants to come here and nobody wants to come here. host: what would you say to the woman in new york who does not and has never felt patriotic about the country? the caller right before her, i think denise, and immigrant of 28 years to the united states who felt absolutely patriotic. how does the woman in new york -- what has to happen to make her more patriotic do you have to say? caller: her grandchildren.

gosh, i have a new one in a year and two months and i am the happiest about it. it is great when you see the grandkids today the fourth, fifth, or the sixth and the sixth of july and they are so happy to see you. and that is because you live in the united states of america. hey, bill, is this a happy day or what? host: thank you for calling in. vincent. oxford, north carolina. hello. caller: hello. i will start off. i am what you call it? i -- can you hear me? host: we can. caller: i do celebrate the fourth of july, and what i wanted to share on this day was that i am african-american -- i

am black, i do not use that new term. when i was traveling and doing business travel, i got so much insight when i was trying to figure it out. i was kind of like the lady from new york. just hearing the cabdrivers talking about what a great country this is. one time i had the chance to listen to a lecture from the late rosa parks. and she was saying something about she was around some rowdy people through the civil rights movement and she would -- and they were saying go back to africa. she was saying you might want to go back, but i was born here. i think this is a good country. people risk life and limb to come to the united states of america. and i think the united states of

america -- i am agreeing with the lady from new york. it has not always treated all citizens equally. but great strides were made through the 1960's, up until 46 years ago to make -- people were not united in the united states. that came with work, effort, and compromise. what is a little disheartening on this independence day is seeing our democracy being threatened, and people are just paying attention to distractions other than what is pending with our democracy. i mean, everyone has opinions on abortion, lgbt -- lgb qt, to me they are distractions.

things have happened even before january 6 riot, which are a real threat to our democracy. and if people do not wake up and stop getting swept away, and this includes the people on capitol hill, at these distractions. we cannot ignore the insurrection. we cannot ignore the legal proceedings behind the 2020 election results. host: vincent in oxford, north carolina. a tweet from cbs's scott who covered many of the january 6 trials and tweets this " arraignment on thursday for donald trump's codefendant in the federal carmel case" saying that it was delayed due to a lack of florida counsel and

inability to get a flight to miami for the hearing. it is independence day, july 4. we are asking you about patriotism and throughout the morning joined by guests including joan esposito joining us next from chicago who has hosted wcpt 820. good morning and happy fourth of july. guest: to youtube. host: what does patriotism mean for you personally? guest: i live about 10 minutes from highland park, illinois where the fourth of july parade was disrupted by a mass shooter last year. in three hours there will be a memorial for those who died and were injured in the parade. so this fourth of july is a little bit more serious than it has been in years past.

it is a good time to look at our democracy, our experiment in democracy that started around july 4, and rededicate ourselves to making sure that we do not lose it. and that we vote into office people who will do the right thing and keep us safe. host: tell us about your show on you cpt, what time is it on and what are your listeners like? guest: i am on monday through friday from 2:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. we sometimes talk about other things, but mostly we talk about the issues and politics of the day. we have been trying to stay in touch with local reporters throughout the nation to find out the craziness going on in some states and what reporters have to say about it. our audience, we actually have a

pretty wide signal, southwest michigan, the upper half of illinois, southern wisconsin, and we take callers most of the time. and we get a wide range of people. a lot of people listen on their computers so we get callers all over the country. we have a pretty broad audience and a very involved audience that really stays up on current events and wants to talk about them. host: chicago is a big city for a number of reasons including for democrats, a headline pointing out on npr that the democrats will host their 2024 convention in the windy city. on top of that, the president last week announcing new economic measures and a thrust to his campaign. the so-called bidenomics. what was your take away? guest: i thought it was one of his better speeches. i pay attention to all of his

speeches, but maybe a little more to that one since it was out of chicago. i thought that he struck just the right note. it really bothers me when i see the polls that say that president biden is not doing anything for us. and i am like seriously? are you paying attention to where we are with jobs, the economy, and manufacturing. i am glad that he finally started talking about it. i am glad that he biden -- that he borrowed bidenomics which is a great way to get the message across. i hope that other prominent democrats start taking up that message and start talking about it wherever they go. because i am stunned by how much this man has accomplished in the beginning of his term. and i think it is time that they started getting the word out. host: republicans and others have long used chicago as the

whipping boy on gun violence and crime in this country. what is a situation in the city, in your view? guest: you know, it is funny. it has become a trope. if we are going to drag some city through the mud, chicago. that is right. if you look at the statistics, our crime statistics are better than a lot of big cities. yes, once in a while things get out of hand, as they do everywhere. but we in chicago are pretty tired of being dragged through the mud and being used as a whipping boy by republicans to make a point. when the statistics do not even back that up. host: has the administration of the city changed much under the newer mayor, brandon johnson, as opposed to the former mayor,

lori lightfoot? guest: after her term we knew what to expect, and we knew who lori lightfoot is. we are still learning who brandon johnson is. as a cook county commissioner, i used to talk to him on my show quite a bit. as a matter of fact, for a long time up until he ran for mayor, he had his own show on the weekends on wcpt. i know him from that sense, and i know him to be a very upbeat, a very well-meaning kind of guy. so far, he seems to be avoiding the mistakes that lori lightfoot made. i mean, they were both basically outsiders, even though he was a cook county commissioner. she came in and rather than reaching out to more experienced folks to help get her administration off of the ground, she circled the wagons and kept close the people

who got her elected. that did not always work out because they were not always the most experienced people. probably in many cases, not the best person for the job. he seems to have learned that lesson. it is early days and we are in a honeymoon period. he has made it a point to reach out to everyone. i joked that when he was making his transition committees that i think i was the only person not asked beyond one. they just went page after page of names. so far, so good. but the jury is still out. host: doesn't he, on your show as he did when he was good county commissioner? guest: i have not asked him because i know what the first weeks of a new administration are like. and he is wildly busy.

i fully expect him to come back on the radio with me. host: joan esposito on wcpt in chicago. she mentioned all the places that it reaches across the upper midwest and online at heartandsignal.com. guest: yes, that is the digital side. we work together. host: great having you on the program, happy fourth of july. guest: and to youtube. host: continuing on our calls, do you consider yourself patriotic. the lines are 202-748-8000 for the eastern and central time zones. 202-748-8001, mountain and pacific. let us go out to truth and consequences, new mexico. kyle, welcome to the program. caller: bill, thank you for having me. happy fourth. host: thank you. caller: absolutely, thank you

for doing the show. ms. esposito, i want to say that i grew up in connecticut but one of the guys i played football with, his last name was esposito. and, we have had some callers from michigan, i think that joan is from chicago? host: yes. caller: i have been all over the country. and i have met so many people and from so many different backgrounds. and i do not know from what other country i could have had this experience. and so to the free press, c-span, to the callers, all of the callers from wherever they are. what i really want to say is that we could all have a block party on our neighborhoods and celebrate america.

and thank you all so much. happy fourth. host: great to hear from you. lee in charleston, south carolina. caller: good morning. host: make sure you mute the volume on the television, and go ahead with your comments. caller: thank you. i am very patriotic, especially being from a military family. i grew up and just never had a chance to go into the military myself for medical reasons. my brothers, grandfather, father were all participant -- participating members of the united states military. and sometimes what gets me about people with an attitude towards people in general, it is just getting worse. it is not getting better. i saw a clip of mr. donald trump

, and all of his grievances and all of this stuff. negativity. i could not watch it. i tried to understand from the views of other people, but the grievance is just not making any sense. and i just think that people who perpetuate anti-american sentiments, when you see it and when you look beneath all of it, that is what it is. for a person who wants to be put back in charge so what, cause havoc? i would not participate in voting for him nor this particular party. but i would consider, of course, because i'm ultimately a conservative, the democrats do not answer anything -- everything or the problems that i have personally. but they are doing good as far

as helping people, working people whose concern about their livelihood and family. so, god bless america. i really appreciate c-span, but i think you need to let some of this negativity go. and, quit showing these clips of people who really do not have the united states of america at hand. or should i say, you know this particular country in mind, in other words. excuse me for being -- host: not at all. we welcome all views on this topic of patriotism. you consider yourself patriotic? we have heard some interesting responses. we have wanda from tennessee,.

good morning. caller: good morning, sir. happy for -- happy fourth of july. yes, i consider myself patriotic. the reason being is that my family roots go all the way back to francis scott key, who wrote the star-spangled banner on my grandfather's side. my family is military. both my sons have served in iraq and afghanistan. i am glad you did and i am glad you have the show so that people can voice their opinions. with that being said, my sons fought for that right. i am sorry for the people in the united states of america who feel like they have been wronged by racism, that is not right in

any form. however, we have got to come together as united states of america. i do not -- whether you are democrat, republican, or independent, that does not matter to me. what matters is that, eventually, this country will come together and be open-minded to different viewpoints and try to understand each other instead of this democrat this or republican that were conservative this or that. when it all comes down at the end of the day, the politicians are the ones that are making the money. it is not the hard-working man.

it is not the poor, or the middle class. host: and do you think that politicians, some politicians, create more havoc to their benefit. that it is for their benefit to create divisions between red, blue, left, right, conservative, and liberal? caller: yes, i agree with that statement 100%. host: glad you got through this morning on this fourth of july. last week we were at the lincoln memorial asking folks if they consider themselves patriotic. we talked all kinds of people. [video clip] >> i am benjamin, what does it mean for us to be patriotic? we both served in the military. that is the least that we could have done for our country for all that has been given to us.

not just being a consumer, but giving back. being patriotic goes beyond the red, white, and blue. it is serving your country, but also what can you do for your friends and family around you. patriotic means so much more than just acknowledging the flag, but actually living and serving the country for the flag. >> i believe that being patriotic could be better termed as loyalty to a family. not just political biases, however, it is a family. we might've all been raised in the same household but you all calm out differently, by the same parents even.

however, it is the blood that runs within you that keeps you bound. if you are home, you fight for home, and no one coming from the outside can break up home. so, that is about taking care of everybody whether you agree with someone's opinion or not. if one gets sick, everybody does what they can to take care of them. if one is bad, -- if one is sad, we do what we can to make them happy and know that despite our differences we are happy and loyal to you. patriotism to me is more than just red, white, and blue. it is about a love that cannot be broken or destroyed and that only comes from one place. [end video clip] host: some members of congress,

if you do hear from the world war ii memorial. we are looking at the lincoln memorial that way and the other way around up to the u.s. capitol. some political ones from members of congress. roger williams of texas "the cost of -- of fourth of july cookouts in joe biden's america continues to climb." speaker mccarthy "god bless america." mike johnson, "as we all enjoy the 247th birthday of our nation let us not forget that independence day should be commemorated first by solemn acts of devotion to god almighty." marcy kaptur said that "hundreds attend a naturalization ceremony for those becoming new u.s. citizens. great honor to participate in an event to recognize those becoming a true part of the great american experiment."

"the washington post" in their lead editorial "under the fireworks look for the light. the united states finds itself in a funk as it celebrates its 247th birthday. fewer than four in 10 adults describe themselves as extremely proud to be american. essentially unchanged from last year's record low and down from two decades ago. this is understandable given the un-resenting -- unrelenting pace of worrying headlines. there is a worry about civic cohesion, intense partisanship and for some a sense of hopelessness. july 4 is a day to celebrate among national virtues the capacity for renewal and self improvement. the sustainable part of our country comes from the ability to renew. this increases political and

economic freedom." back to calls. claudia in white mills, pennsylvania. welcome. caller: good morning. happy fourth of july to you. host: thank you. caller: i have been listening to the comments this morning. and, i think that people in america keep leaving out the most important thing that makes you -- that makes america united, which is that we were born one nation under god. if people were to change their point of view and the more religious and turn to god, i think there would be more unity in this. it would help to stop the

diversity problems that we are having between parties or race is, or -- races or that. because without god, america would not have been brought about. and we should give thanks, praise, and honor to him that we can be around to celebrate and that we have the freedom that other countries around the world do not have. host: thank you for that. stephen is up next in palm coast, florida. hello. caller: good morning. host: good morning. you are on the air. caller: it was mentioned about being patriotic, which was very important to a nation pre-civil warish with all of these

comments being spot on. everyone has made intelligent, very aggressive statements about how we all feel about america. the interesting point i want to make reading the book "the united states of trump: how the president really sees america" by bill o'reilly, who many people have read. all of his books are really popular. the one statement that i want to read is that "after donald trump defeated hillary clinton, i said the two most stunning political stories i have ever witnessed where the assassination of president kennedy and the election of president donald trump. that reminded me of a picture i have seen recently and over the years of president trump hugging the american flag. it is important for us to realize who this person was.

he makes very great comments in this book. i have it highlighted. i am an independent from florida who was born and raised in new york, long island from parents who were in world war i. my father was a navigator and my mother was in the woman army corps. my brother went on to be in the service. as a nuclear physicist. long story short, you have many wars behind. this is important for everybody to come together to understand electing a president in this particular election is the most important in their lives. the country is on the precipice of being so divided, it is important for us to realize, take a breath. bill o'reilly says in the book a real comment? "the narcissistic press running

a pro left or pro-life, i have landed in the middle as an independent knowing friends who are democratic and friends and family who are republicans. they have to decide which way the nation wants to go." don't you agree with we have to come together eventually, all of us? host: that was the problem that faced them in 1861, the descendants of those founding fathers on both sides could not reconcile their differences. caller: well said. in other words the country back in 1861. the history i have read quite a bit. researching this particular problem, i felt it important to read somebody who i always watched on tv until he got in trouble and was taken off of the air.

i watched bill o'reilly. as an independent you want to hear from the left and the right. this book "the united states of trump: how the president sees america" was eye-opening. people should read it with their own opinion. and, come to their own conclusions. it is so good for everybody in this particular time. it is important for everyone to vote. the picture of donald trump hugging an american flag should not sway you. he has a narcissist who only cares about himself. bill o'reilly goes into detail on how he was raised. host: you mentioned that photo twice, there might be more than one. i know the photo you are talking about about donald trump hugging the flag. what does it mean to you when you see it? caller: that he is disingenuous. he does not care about the american people.

according to the things i have read and researched, he is one of the most narcissistic people who only cares about himself. his own family has distanced him from being part of him. going back to the picture, as you mentioned, he is portraying images. everything about donald trump or an image of him being strong and patriotic. there are wide ranges of people who feel patriotic, but yet they will vote for a man who only cares for himself about nobody else. that is important to distinguish. host: we appreciate your calling. more of your calls coming up on washington journal. it is july 4 on the program where we are checking in with radio talk show hosts and others a con -- across the country. next up we are joined by ben

from the mighty 990 kwm from minnesota. he has a talk show host there. good morning. caller: how are you doing? host: you have probably been listening to some of this and we have been talking about patriotism on our program. what does that mean to you? guest: that is a good question. i have two stories. over the weekend it was quintessential fourth of july even though it was a few days earlier, a baseball game. you have the hot dogs and fireworks show. if you look around when the national anthem begins we all stand. at that moment it did not matter what scotus ruled hours earlier for those in the ballgame. i will give you another example. last night i was grabbing dinner with friends. and i went to pay for my check. and the waitress said i have to

work tomorrow and i said i am sorry, have a happy fourth anyway. and she said there is nothing happy about america. and i said you can say that because that is america. it is not a concept, it is really the ability to say that and in this country and only this country can you do that. host: joining us from memphis. tell us about your show, when are you on and what are your listeners like? guest: well, we broadcast the show from shelby county, and i am a conservative radio talk show host. it has been an interesting two years doing a morning show in the community. and i have learned a lot from these listeners. it is my job to get on the news of the day and have the headlines ready at 7:00 with a piping hot cup of coffee. i have learned from them, and i

think to go back and swing back to the fourth of july, that is what it is about, learning from your neighbors and community. and becoming a smarter and more prosperous community member. host: your listeners expect you to come out in the morning and have a take or opinion on the lead news stories of the day? guest: absolutely. if you are trying to play both sides they can sniff that out quickly. the thing is, that you are well aware of, nothing is nuanced. you are a trumper, or just santos, you like aoc or nancy pelosi. there is no nuance in the conversation, but as a host you have to pick a side and go for it which is what i tried to do. do i always get it right?

no, and the listeners send me emails and that is ok. host: the radio station is kwam. ben deeter talking about us. what is your favorite part of hosting the morning and your least favorite part of doing the morning drive? guest: i will start with the least favorite part, heading up in the morning. it is a morning show, you have to be up at 4:00 in the morning and it has not gotten easier, i will be honest, but the listeners make it worth it. i am not just saying that. i know that you had some callers on your program, that is what makes news talk so excited -- exciting. it is not a monologue, yes i talked -- i start the show talking, that i go into a back-and-forth that is typically lively with a listener. it feels like i can do some news and break some headlines but i can also talk to my friends,

which are the folks that are in the city of memphis. host: you mentioned that you broadcast from a dark blue county and you are a conservative host. what do you do when you get folks who are the appa suit opposite -- absolute opposite and they call you to task on your views? do you blow them off or engage them? guest: you have to engage because what are you doing in memphis? there would be easier places in america to broadcast as a conservative. and they will get on and hold you accountable for things and different takes that i take on this show. and it can get lively. and sometimes it can get heated. i have learned a lot from these listeners, and i hope they have learned from me. and no, i do not blow them off. that is the best radio.

the best tv is when there is back-and-forth. host: we know that you are not in the state capital of nashville, but what is the reaction in the long-term consequences of the expulsion of the democrats? the tennessee 3 from the statehouse in tennessee? guest: i mean, that was such an interesting story to follow. and i will say, it really galvanized the democratic party. they sit in a super minority, and all of a sudden the entire world zoomed in on nashville. a lot of the democrats that have gotten sidelined for years because i do not have any control in the statehouse were getting their 10 seconds of fame. for good or bad reason, i will let you decide. it was exciting for the democratic party.

unfortunately for republicans, it was egg on the face which i know from conversations with some of them that they are still dealing with months after. host: that is our guest at kwam the mighty 990, just outside of the memphis area. how can folks tune into the show? guest: mighty990.com is where folks can catch the show live 7:00 until 9:00 central time. host: glad that you got up with us this morning on washington journal and good luck with your show in memphis. back to your calls on july 4. chris is waiting in bonita springs, florida. happy fourth of july. caller: happy fourth of july, happy independence day. ok. i am calling because i want to

remind people what independence day is all about. independence is all about freedom. it was freedom from tyranny and monarchy, and authoritarianism. none of the founding fathers promised that the government would take care of you, or that you would have no personal responsibility in your life. or even that life would be fair. i want to appeal to the elderly woman in new york in the hopes of changing her mind about this country. because if she really looks at history, she will see that it was human nature that did what it did to her race. the black people in africa were tribal and they sold their political prisoners to the slave trade. the slave trade sold the prisoners to business and america.

ok? but the good news is that -- is the civil rights act, the 60's. she should be celebrating how far this country has come, and so should all people who feel that way. the alternative to them their ancestors being brought here would be that they would be back in africa. let me tell you something, that is not a really great place to live right now. there is slavery of -- in africa to this day. it is terrible. this country is the greatest country on earth. we should be celebrating our freedom and taking personal responsibility about our choices in life and everything that we do. please, stay positive on this wonderful celebration of our independence. thank you so much. host: chicago, william. do you consider yourself patriotic?

caller: good morning. i think of myself as a patriot. seven years in the navy, i come from a family that served in the military since the spanish-american war. buffalo soldiers. my experience one could argue would be an american story. i come from a family, my grandmother, my maternal grandmother was a sharecropper in the mississippi delta. and i have a phd. so it is the american dream. host: that is quite the arc of family history. caller: indeed. but in being a patriot, one is

to love the country. but at the same time you have to be critical. you have to make the country be held accountable. it is funny that you had this woman before me talking about slavery and she just dismissed the issue that the framers of the nation were fighting against tierney from the british crown, but at the same time was behaving the same way towards enslaved people. slavery is -- history is about teaching the good, bad, and ugly. we all have experiences and all are different. to the woman in new york city and the woman in california, two black women with different narratives of what america is. and we need to understand each other and hear how each others'

stories, appreciate them and move forward. and what can we do to make america better? that is what we are saying. host: william in chicago, thank you for the call and some of your family's history. this was in the "new york times" by macauley, the contributing editor. america's outstanding promissory note. "in 1852 frederick douglass labored his most famous address, what the slave is a fourth of july. this time of year quotation start around black social media as a pushback about the uncomplicated celebrations of american independence. douglass wondered what the enslaved might say if they were called from the plantations to reflect on themes of liberty, justice, and equality, how might

their pros might differ from the order tors. there is a revolution in the perspective when the powerless are given space to speak. that has not changed. on independence day what have those who lost loved ones in the buffalo mass shooting have to say about justice in america? if we summon black women who disproportionately experience death in child birth, what hard truths would we hear about their fears? what musings can we expect for those who endure unjust sentencing or pulled over for driving while black? and further he writes that douglass challenged the idea that certain truths should be overlooked. he composed the speech in the aftermath of the fugitive slave act of 1850 which required all escaped slaves to be returned to their enslavers.

this turned the nation into a hunting ground for men and marred the whole republic because your lawmakers commanded all good citizens to engage in this hellish sport. this speech has been reenacted a number of times and over the years c-span has covered reenactments of the frederick douglass speech including part of -- including in 2017. this is from the library of congress and we will show you a brief portion of the reenactment of the franklin -- frederick douglass speech. [video clip] >> speak to the old men with locks then and gray. see the young woman whose shoulders are bare to the scorching sun and whose tears fall onto the babe in her arms. see to the young girl of 13 weeping as she thinks of the

mother from who she has been torn. heat and sorrow nearly consumed, and suddenly you hear a quick snap like the discharge of the rifle. the chains rattle and your ears are polluted with the screams that have torn its way into the center of your soul. the crack you heard was the sound of a whip, the screams you heard was the mother with the baby in her arms, her strength had faltered under the weight of the chains and the child, and the gash in her soul that tells her to move on, follow the procession to new orleans. attend an auction, sea men examined like horses. see the frames of one man

brutally exposed to the shocking gaze of american slave buyers. where under the sun can you witness a spectacle morphine this and shocking, yet this is but a glimpse of the american slave system as it exists in the ruling part of the united states? but it is in this moment you hear people that say it is just this time that you and this fellow abolitionists failed to make a favorable impression if you would argue more and announce less. if you would persuade more and rebuke less, your cause might be more likely to succeed. but, i submit, where all is plain there is nothing to be argued. what point in the anti-slavery creed what you have me argue? am i to argue the point that the slave is a man?

the point has been seated already, no one doubts it? slave owners acknowledge it when they punish a slave for disobedience. there are 72 crimes in the states of virginia which is committed by a black mam subject him to the punishment of death while only two of the same crimes if committed by a white man may subject him to like punishment. this is the acknowledgment that a slave is a moral, intellectual and political being. there are fines about teaching a slave to read and write when you can point to any laws that are the same with the beast in the field and i will continue to argue that the manhood of the slave. americans, your republican politics as well as your republican religion is

frequently -- frequently inconsistent -- flagrently inconsistent. [end video clip] host: a reenactment from the speech, the title is what to the slave is a fourth of july. continuing with our conversation, and by the way you can find all of the speech on our website on c-span.org. dallas, texas and we can hear from travis. thanks you for waiting and happy independence day. caller: happy fourth of july. that was a great reenactment of sir frederick douglass. anyway, the question is what does patriotism mean to me? is that correct? host: that is one of the ones who ask folks. the specific is you consider yourself patriotic.

but yes. caller: i believe there are a lot of things that need to change, and one of those things is getting back to manufacturing and having pride and competition. being one of the top producers of products and innovation. but, i think we have lost our way back in the 60's and 70's of doing that. and i think we can all rally behind something by getting back to manufacturing and creating goods and products ourselves. and then i think we will have more of a patriotic atmosphere like we did long ago. that is what true patriotism is. host: rick from iowa is next. hello there. caller: thank you for giving me a chance to talk. i feel like i am patriotic and it makes me sick to see what happened on january 6.

i believe that anyone who supports anything happened that day against our government on january 6 is not patriotic. they cannot say the pledge of allegiance, they pledged their allegiance somewhere else when they cheered for the people using that flag to be the man in charge of protecting our constitution. that was very disingenuous and i do not know what they are thinking. host: nancy also in iowa, cedar falls. hello there. caller: hello. yes. i am a democrat, which is neither here nor there. i am very patriotic. i love living in the united states. i am very lucky to live here despite all the very horrible challenges that we are facing in this country today. i would like to address

etiquette for the flag. the thing is that the disrespect to the flag on january 6 of course is just insane. but on a more personal level, i drive around and walk around, i see so much disrespect for the flag. flags touching the ground, tattered flags, and flags that fly at night without being lit up. use of the flags as clothing. you name it, there is a list of etiquette things for the flag that i have looked up. that is my statement for today. host: it is an interesting point, why do you think -- why is that important to you? caller: it is important to me because the flag represents our country, and the freedom of our country, and what we have fought for.

and we need to respect that symbol. of the wonderful freedom in the country that we live in. host: i appreciate your observation on this fourth of july, thank you for calling. let us go to austin, texas and hear from roy. caller: good morning, happy fourth of july. i do believe i am patriotic for the simple fact that i believe in everything our constitution has to say. i have served our country, as have many of our family members. and when the national anthem is played and the flag is blowing in the breeze, i still get teary-eyed. talking about it brings up my love for this country. and if people could just look around and see that we are all the same, this country is hurting and it does not need to be. we just need to come together

for the love of this country. host: the opening question, our morning question on washington journal, you consider yourself patriotic? it is july 4, the 247th birthday of the united states. we welcome your calls. 202-748-8000 for the eastern and central time zones. for the mountain and pacific, 202-748-8001. chad covers capitol hill for fox news and even with congress on he is weighing in with a tweet from the capitol rotunda. "the painting of the declaration of independence, the continental congress declared freedom from great britain on july 2, 1776. john adams believe that the second, not the fourth would be solemnized with pomp and parade for this time forward evermore.

it turns out the fourth of july became the day that they ratified the document itself. it was not fully signed, i believe, until early august of that year by all of the 56 delegates to the second continental congress. jack in allen park, michigan. good morning and welcome to the program. caller: good morning morning and happy independence day. i would like to consider myself patriotic in the sense that i love the country, and it is a great big country with a storied history. i love the people. we have a great list of achievements in our history and current times, cultural, economic and technological and social. there is one thing in the patriotism vein that i do not really get along with, the idea that america is the best country

in the world. that is fine to have an opinion because if you think that the constitution and the freedom of speech and whatnot. you hear it almost unanimously from the politicians that come on here and it almost sounds like a cold ideology. i watched the green party presidential candidate on your program a couple of days ago and i resonated with what he said. american life has the same value as a chinese, russian, ukrainian and every person on this planet was made in god's image. i do consider myself patriotic, but our country has been an evil force across the world for the last 40 years, especially in the last 20. host: next up is sharon calling from minnesota. good morning. caller: happy independence day

to you. i remember listening to your callers a little while ago and a lady said that she used to wear everything red white and blue and so did i. i kids used to make fun of me and my friends made fun of me because everything i wore was red white and blue every day and wore a flag pin on my shirt. and things changed for me in 2016, and i look out my window right now and i think i have talked to you about this before. i look at a neighbor's yard and he has a confederate flag flying. so when i see things like that it is really hard for me to say patriotic. host: he will fly that confederate flag? caller: i am looking at it right now, every day 24/7. it really frustrates me. i have had some run-ins with this gentleman back in 2016 and

i was disgusted with america when they elected trump. i wanted to burn my flag. my family would not let me. we fought for days and days about burning the flag. host: burning your american flag. caller: burning my american flag, because i was so disgusted with what america had done. they talked me out of it and i did some research and i realized that i did not have to burn the flag to make my point across. but i have hung my flag upside down and it was hung upside down on my flag pole for until joe biden got in. i have lowered that flag, it is like my temperature gauge. with the temperature of this country it goes up, down, or upside down depending on the country. but i made my gentleman neighbor very upfront -- upset when i flipped my flag upside down. he came over with his paint gun and started paintballing my

flag. i have black and red spots over my flag and i refused to get rid of it for the point how ridiculous is that? host: you mentioned, sorry. you mentioned that you had run-ins with your neighbor over the confederate flag. did any of those run-ins, did he say why he flies a confederate flag? caller: he says it is because he can, that is all he says. underneath the confederate flag, everyone else in my neighborhood has an flag flying high. we do not give a crop that only republicans fly american flags, that is just a bunch of old pucky. he does not fly the american flag, just the confederate flag and then right under that is a trump flag. that is all and that tells me everything. but, being patriotic, i look at these three words, liberty,

justice, and equality. equality, i used to think that yeah we were getting there. in the fast year, that went down the drain with roe v. wade. so you as a white man you have full economy over your body, that is not equal to what i have. i don't have that anymore. as far as justice for all, if we really lived by that, i think donald trump would be in prison, wouldn't he? so i'm torn. my grandsons are in the parade, the boy scouts, and i will go celebrate the day and i will throw on my red white and blue and i will not wear my flag, i will not burn my flag but i will not look at my neighbor and wave at him as a drive by as he is sitting outside cleaning his guns outside of his confederate flag. i'm not going to fall for it. host: well enjoy the parade and the whole scene there in minnesota.

thanks for calling, sharon. we've been set -- spending the last week or so talking among them all in washington, d.c., folks visiting, about their patriotism, do they consider themselves patriotic. here is a response. [video clip] >> >> my name is patrick and i do consider myself patriotic. >> what does patriotic mean to you? >> excepting and welcoming its strength. we are not a perfect nation but being together we can make it more perfect and be proud. >> i'm tony, an immigrant, a professor of special education and early childhood and being a good patriot for me means honoring the men and women

[indiscernible] just honoring them. >> i'm calling, from connecticut -- colin, i'm from connecticut. >> i'm sam, i'm from connecticut. >> joe, also from connecticut. >> do you consider yourselves to be patriotic? >> yeah i would say so. >> very patriotic. >> yep. >> what does being patriotic mean to you? >> that means really loving this country and respecting everything the flag stands for as well as the people who helped protect us, people who have died for us in the past. >> yeah deafly just respecting the country and being proud of where you are from. >> yeah, proud of where you are from, appreciating what we have

and everybody's sacrifices. >> [indiscernible] >> yeah, being proud of where you're from, the sacrifices, we live in such a great place. being proud in where you are from and what it stands for and every thing like that. host: an hour or so left in the drive -- july 4 addition of "washington journal". jim is in mississippi. happy fourth. caller: happy fourth. thank you so much. host: you are on the air, go ahead. caller: i just wanted to say i think i am relatively patriotic. i served an americorps for two years and it's a great opportunity for young people. there's also a senior corporate people 65 and older but it is a great way to serve if you have no intentions of going into the

military. you can still be a part of the process. i wanted to say a quote from a great american journalist. every decent man petitions the government under which he lives. the reason i say that is there is a reason quote from our modern world, go woke, go broke, which i--- if i understand it, if you are critical of the status quo in the way things are, your financial well-being might be in jeopardy. i think that is very un-american. host: thanks for that. laverne is up next in san antonio, texas. welcome to "washington journal" this morning. caller: i would like to start by saying a quote doc rivers had a couple years ago or a year or so ago, why would i love a country that does not love me.

you had a lady from florida who came and talked about criticizing a woman who called from california and -- not criticizing her but supporting her and criticizing a woman who lived all of her life in new york and given testimony to what has happened to her. the woman from california is a new resident immigrant here who gained her citizenship. . this is the thing that irritates me, the woman from florida said that about africa, the state of africa, imagine what would africa be now if those people who were captured and enslaved in this country and treated horribly had been allowed to stay in their home country and build it. what would that have gained? what would be be looking at now? the united states has always

treated africa as a brother who stood by the door and now all of a sudden with china, russia, and other countries building infrastructure, now we are upset. we cannot be upset because we loud that to happen. -- allowed that to happen. we in this country have never been allowed to gain the full mantle and promise that the constitution has given us. the lady from florida, well think about florida now. would anybody want to move there and be a part of that? unless they have the same mindset. a lot of people talking about being will can't even explain what that is. they say all the cubans there, i consider that being a coward, to leave your country and come to this country and criticize from here. the same thing for kid that came to install spectrum tv cable in

my home. i asked him where he was from and he said i'm from ukraine and i said how did you get here? he said he and his family left ukraine when the war started and ran to spain and then came to hear to the united states. now he is installing cable. you can't -- i cannot find a black installer to get cable to me. so i want people to think about it. just like the guy who just said the quote, he is correct. i absolutely agree 100% that people need to read what frederick douglass's speech on why he should be a participant in the fourth of july celebration. i personally am still considering a move from this country because i do not feel safe here. i do not feel safe at all.

i do not want my children to have to live under this present regime. we in texas, you know what they have done in the legislature in texas? they bypass local ordinances so the state legislature now says you can't take a water break if you are working on construction. if you're working on the roads here. what kind of humane -- inhumane person says something i catch? but like you said, what people say, [indiscernible] and we have a governor who sits on his brain all day long and supports this movement. host: that's laverne in texas. we will go to paul in new york. do you consider yourself patriotic? go ahead, paul. caller: good morning. i'm enjoying the show today. really getting a kick out of some of the calls. i consider myself patriotic just

as many of those who called ahead of me. the woman from minnesota and the confederate flag, i think that woman needs medication. she has the trump arranging syndrome seriously. my, would be about frederick douglass and i remember reading his speech years ago and what he was doing is saying let's aspire to the principle that the founding members did for saul. we are exceptional in the world. i remember obama saying i'm sure the germans and the greeks and whoever else think of themselves as exceptional. our own president could not the fact we are in fact exceptional because of our governor -- government, that we allow ourselves to be governed. i get a kick out of some responses. the guy that talked about other places of the world we are an evil in those places, those

things i find extremely offensive. they seem to miss the boat about what really is exceptional about this country. the old statement from i guess it was a marine who said for those who bled and died, freedom has a taste that we will never know. that couldn't be more true listening to some of these calls. host: on to lonnie in south carolina -- excuse me, lonnie is in salisbury, north carolina. go ahead. caller: good morning. i am ex military, a veteran. i'm not patriotic. i don't think a lot of black people are. they say fourth of july independence. look at what they are doing to black people. we can't read about our history, they never gave us preparations,

they wanted us to wait in long lines to vote, affirmative action, they are killing us when we drag, so why should black people be patriotic? why people always around holidays want to quote famous black people but yet you don't want your children to read about the accomplishments of black people. talking about the free state of florida. it is the most racist state behind texas and you have these white people calling in quoting black people, it is ridiculous, hypocrisy, and i think for black people, we do not reap the benefits of an independence day. we are still being pay lower wages, our pregnant women are dying, black men getting killed, children getting beaten and killed just for asking for a

straw across the counter. you tell me why should we be patriotic? it you're doing to us from the beginning. you took us from our homeland, you raped our women and you say we are supposed to lay down and take it? everything why people have touched since the beginning of time has been nothing but horrible consequences. cain and abel, the beginning, two brothers of the lighter persuasion and one kills the other out of jealousy. white people are jealous of black people because of our godly -- of our godly favoritism. host: from thomas stewart in the washington times, he's a former investment banker and naval officer in the headlines. sailors in the american revolution, the naval history of

the american revolution received attention from most historians. that is unfortunate for two reasons, first because the war contributed to our independence and because it is a cracking good yarn that needs telling. when the revolution broke out, britain was a world's leading naval power with 250 vessels of all sizes. the american navy in contrast never had more ships -- more than a ships at sea at one time but u.s. strength at sea was not limited to the size of our navy, it was augmented by thousands of privateers who were furiously raiding british ships on both sides of the atlantic. a privateer was a captain who had a letter of marquee or license from his government to plunder enemy ships. the fledgling united states may not have had much of a navy but it did have whalers and fishing boats manned by skilled sailors i could not be converted into warships. the continental congress was quick to tap this strength.

in march, 1776, four months before the declaration of independence signed, lawmakers gave permission to private citizens to "sit out on vessels to cruise on the enemies of these united colonies." according to the national park service, congress issued 1700 letters of marquee during the revolution. state governments issued hundreds more. paper reflation -- a proliferation of privateers put pressure on britain, maritime insurance rates rose in the cost of imported goods as the british economy suffered the american economy was invigorated by the influx of prized money and captured goods. these goods included military supplies that were badly needed by general george washington's army. back to your calls, it is to new orleans and ronald on our question about patriotism on this july 4. good morning. caller: good morning.

i just want to say two things, i'm a patriot, i'm a veteran, i'm a marine. there were something written in a constitution that says we the people of the united states. when they wrote that, it was a class of people, but they did not realize that doing time, god was creating a class that everyone coming here was supposed to be part of that we the people. and it has not been that since. we have been fighting -- america has been fighting to be a part of the independence, a part of the constitution. i will go to the second part when i'm a christian, which means to me that the devil knew

that if he would have killed jesus, what would happen to bring everybody else in, he never would have did it. i don't think forefathers knew what would happen and what they were doing when they wrote the constitution. we are still fighting today, people are fighting today to be a part of we the people. that is all i have to say. host: in ohio, greg is next. hi there. caller: i am a patriot, 100%. this country allows anyone to have equal rights. you can be anything you want through your education. you can be born in poverty and turnout to be a banker, middle-class, or be rich. you have all of your rights. if you want to fly any flag other than the united states flag, you have that right. i don't measure my patriotism

based on who is president and who is not president, gas prices, grocery prices, or who is coming across the border and i try to instill that in my children and my neighbors. i'm a veteran, i fly the flag, i help my neighbors out, and that is not change based upon politics. a lot of people calling in talking about politics. if you measure the patriotism based on what policies or who is president, i feel sorry for you. you need to reconsider what it is to be a patriot. i love this country, i served this country, and i was willing to die for this country and that is all that matters. ask yourself who cares who is president? treat everybody like you want to be treated and that is all i have to say. host: happy independence day there greg. janice calling from maryland. hi there. what are your thoughts on the

morning topic? caller: good morning. happy fourth of july. thank you for taking my call. i'm so nervous. but i was calling to say if you love your country -- i am a patriot, i love my country. even when i travel i can't wait to get home because i love my country. i love the freedom, i love -- i am a christian. i love the fact we can gather and worship. i love democracy. but i also feel there is a lot going on here causing pain. the country is not well right now. but that's is not stop me from loving my country because of what some people are doing. but the fact that we see so much today is because we are talking more. we are talking more, the books

are coming out more, we see more that is happening and we are talking more about what we need to start doing more is listening. it touched my heart when the caller from new york called and said that she does not feel the same way. about this country. because she lived through the jim crow years and she saw things that happened in the south. even though that makes them feel uncomfortable to hear that, it is time -- makes me uncomfortable to hear that, people need to start listening. what she went through, i don't know how she was able to get married, to have children, to see her grandchildren. we don't know what she went through, the trauma she went through. it has a lasting effect on you. it has a lasting -- so when people talk, we need to listen more. like the caller from minnesota, it hurt her.

that is what she went through. we just need to listen more. so i am saying to listen more and see what people are going through and thank you for taking my call. happy independence day. host: why do you think patriotism is in this country such an important thing to talk about and to have as part of your life? asking wise it important to you? caller: it is important to me because we are a part of this country. we have to contribute to this country. if you live here, it is important how you treat your neighbor. it is important how you feel about other people in this country. so it is important how you treat people. if you love your country, you give back. this is an important topic this morning and if we didn't have

the freedom to speak the way we do, c-span would not be here. it is important, everything we have is important. so we have to see how we can give back and how we can change what is happening, even the negative things we see happening in this country. what can you do? what is the little thing you can do. -- do to get back and change? host: glad you got there. on to portland, oregon. grace, good morning. caller: good morning. how are you? host: find, thank you. caller: i consider myself as a patriot. my dad was in the korean war and my uncle, you know, so i come from a family of people being in the war. my dad was born on a reservation so he was part black and part indian.

i do not really like a lot of things going on in this country, but it is still my country. i was born here and i see a lot of things they are doing, with the voting rights act and the one lady said black people should be happy because we got the voting rights act. i remember that because i marched to get that done but still, the fact that there is this justice, john roberts, saying we live in a colored society. we don't. we do not live in a colored society because it is hard being black in this country and they seem like they don't understand that. we did not create this racism. it is not on us to make them understand how we feel or what we are going through. you are fighting everyday of

your life just to get a place to stay. you are fighting just to keep a roof over your head and all of that but we are living in the land of the free but free for who? it is not always for us. then you have justice clarence thomas, i don't like his views and stuff and here he is going to take affirmative action away because he felt like there was a stigma on him. it is not there and we do not live in a colored society. we just don't. you've got these people, i hate to say this but there are white people out here that hate us. it is always us, we have always done something to cause something for them. people die just so we could have the right to vote and they want to take that too. but you know, i just don't know. host: all right, we have been showing a lot of scenes from around the nation's capital. seems like world war ii

memorials, video from the vietnam veterans memorial on this fourth of july, asking you about patriotism. do you considered so patriotic? the lines are (202) 748-8001 -- (202) 748-8000 for the east and central time zone. that is the eastern and central time zone. it is (202) 748-8001 for mountain and pacific. just a couple of comments, remembering veterans and the troops on this july 4 phone former president barack obama tweeting while ago happy fourth of july, everybody. today and every day, michelle and i are grateful for troops, their families, for their sacrifice, courage, and strength. from mitch mcconnell, as we gather with family and friends to celebrate our nation's birthday, lettuce or member the brave americans who served and sacrificed to make our freedom possible. happy independence day and god bless america. next is carol in manassas,

virginia. good morning. caller: good morning morning and happy fourth of july. i am a bit nervous but every day i like to say i am thankful and feel privileged to be an american. but i came of age during the vietnam war and i remember dan rather on the front lines every night on our television set and i always thought that war was so wrong and that is when i realized our country is not always perfect. but i have to quote john prine because our flag won't get us into heaven anymore. now we seem to be a very divided country. this seems like the word freedom and patriotism has been hijacked , and i fear we may not -- the divide gets deeper and does not seem to mend itself.

i do realize our country is a work in progress but i love it. there is -- there are countries that are great but i love the greatness of the greatness of united states and i have to say the man from ohio and woman from maryland, i both -- i love both of their words. that is about it. host: glad you tuned in. another call from portland, oregon. ann, hello there. you are on the air, go ahead. caller: i grew up in the washington, d.c. area and this will be the 70th year i will be watching the fairgrounds and feeling a little homesick. i would be there if i were there. i am a patriot, a christian, i love this country, and i have great hope that our generation z will be voting and showing up,

that we can mend our country. i am very sad because i lived during the period of the marches and i lived during the period working for a government agency and we were looking for russians , and now the russians are after us again. what goes around comes around. i have great hope for our country but i am very saddened at the divisiveness and in my own family we have debates and we are on opposite sides. i am a christian but i have been so upset that people use christianity to be judgmental and to be hatemongering and they have completely forgot during -- forgotten what the bible said, that we need to take care of the widows and children. host: in your own family, do you think -- you talked about how

you are divided, do you think you have different views about what patriotism is? caller: absolutely. we are 180 degrees apart. i worked for a young black man and he sat me down and gave me the speech. every time i see another shooting or another killing of a young man, i think of my son who is white that i do not have to worry so much, though even our children in school now have to worry, but no, we are so divisive but we debate and our family has always done that and they say i think you're crazy but i love you anyway. because we do have a strong family. we are on opposite sides are now but i have great hope, and i would be there 1000 times. i will be wearing my red, white, and blue and be very happy to be

an american citizen in the greatest country in the world. host: on to christine in florida. caller: yes, i am 75 and i was born a product of immigrants. i have lebanese, german, and italian. i was brought up in a mixed neighborhood in washington, d.c. i have lived through the 1960's. i marched in the 1960's. i have seen our country go backward. in my opinion, nationalism is the cause of wars. i'm sorry. i believe being in favor of one country over another causes wars , destruction, and hatred. i'm the only one to say this but i see what it does to be

thinking your country is the best. my mother thought hitler's was the best. she came to this country -- he was accepted by lebanese and italian parents of my father, but i have gone through being taught how to dance i a black girl living next door, i have gone through all of the things that are unfair. we are not a bad country but we are not the best. we are not the best. i'm glad i was born here but i would just as soon then born in europe, sweden, denmark -- the countries that accept other people without the hatred that we do. host: christine brought up the issue of nationalism. there is a piece in the conversation looking at the difference between the two,

pointing out the differences between nationalism and patriotism. what is the difference between the two. in this piece last week they write the word nationalism and patriotism are sometimes used as synonyms such as when trump and his supporters described his america first agenda. many political scientists including me don't typically see those two terms as equivalent or even compatible. he writes to understand what nationalism is, it is useful to understand what a nation is and is not. a nation is a group of people who share a history, culture, language, religion, or some combination. a country, sometimes called a state in political science terminology, is an area of land that has its own government. a nationstate is a homogenous political entity mostly comprising a signal nation. the united states is neither nation or nationstate, rather it is a country of many different groups of people who have a variety of shared histories,

cultures, languages, and religions. some of those are formally recognized by the financial government like the navajo nation and cherokee nation. in canada, the french-speaking group is recognized as a distinct nation within united canada. nationalism he writes or one dictionary definition, loyalty and devotion to a nation on the other hand he writes in contrast to nationalism, loyalty or devotion to one's nation, patriotism is per the same dickered -- dictionary, love or devotion to one country. it comes from the word patriot which can be traced back to the greek word patriot us -- patriotos, which means of one father. so it has historically been love to one's fatherland. a treat as him as a country as a whole including all the people that live within it. nationalism refers to devotion

to one group of people over all others. on to more calls and alvin is in denver, colorado. could morning. caller: good morning, bill. i like the way you divided this up according to regions and i want to say i am a patriot. i'm also less than i have ever been in my life. as far as patriotism. next to marrying my wife, i served 28 years in the air force , and that is the best thing i think i have ever done and i am hopeful this country will achieve a multi ethnic and cultural democracy. i will continue working for that and i'm just as patriotic as any trump supporter. host: reno is calling from

phoenix, arizona. go ahead. caller: good morning. happy fourth to everybody. thank you to everyone that served. i appreciate that. a couple things, good show as usual. called a couple years ago and talked to you guys. just a couple things, proud to be an american, suddenly a dark day for the country. i'm not as old as some of the callers but i grew up as a child in the 1980's, deftly proud to be an american. you had simple things like hulk mania, the american flag was a source of pride, you would see all the time. now you go downtown to the city's downtown and it is not the american flag being flown everywhere, it is these other flags, the subgroups and subcultures. it is fine to have their own thing but it becomes

overbearing, clouds everything. as far as the past, our country has a dark history, a lot of bad things that happened. it is tragic but with any country with the amount of time and human nature is ugly in a lot of ways. everyone that's calling in says they want to leave the country in the country is horrible. ask yourself why does everyone want to come here? we have people trying to get in all the time. i think it is a great country. but, that one person made about the comet from ukraine, that was pretty sad. host: do you think the idea of patriotism has changed much since you were a kid? caller: absolutely. i like your segment before i got on, i was listening to you.

the nationalism hit on the point. i am a nationalist and proud to be a nationalist. i'm proud to meet american but i get some people's point of view. i get how we can look -- i think people look at the trump supporters and think they are crazy and in some cases they are. you look at it and some of these people are unhinged, but at the same time you are proud of your country and i think it is sad that some people look down on the american flag. i heard people say they don't like the american flag. millions of vets fought in world war ii and stuff like that for not only our freedom of the whole world's freedom so it is a complicated situation but you should be proud. you should be proud to be american and if not, bio means, go somewhere else. the lady comparing us to the nordic countries was ironic as well. sweden. my ancestors are from there.

you are comparing countries with very small populations to a country close to 400 million people. to compare us to these other countries, you have to compare us to the big countries like china and india where human rights and rights in general, our standard of living is so much better than everyone else but we are on decline. thanks for a great show and letting me speak. host: on to cleveland and next up is maria. do you consider yourself patriotic? caller: i absolutely do. i am grateful of being an african-american, i'm grateful to live in this country and i understand from an historical perspective. i know how enslaved africans which became african-americans came to this country. yes it is hurtful and sad what occurred but still we rise.

i think democracy is an ongoing progress. part of, i think, the purpose of what is happening in america in some ways is to make right some of the things that were wrong. it is not easy and it is not going to be easy. human behavior sometimes can be a very bad thing, but the beauty is we can change if we choose to change. i want to comment on something that laverne in texas said that mentioned a cable man from ukraine came to her house and that he is from ukraine and shadley she called him a coward. yet in the same conversation laverne mentioned she is considering leaving the united states. i thought it was kind of ironic on one hand she is calling this man who is leaving a war-torn country yet she is leaving so is she the coward? i'm sure the man made the

decision he and his family to seek refuge and thankfully found it in the united states. one has to wonder the coward laverne, why isn't she fleeing america? i think that was quite unkind and insensitive for her to call the man a coward considering the conditions under which i'm sure he and his family were under. host: appreciate your call. always worth following on twitter and especially on national holidays and things like this. and historian, a commentator tweeting this morning "this week, and it will be tough to see on the screen so i'd suggest you find a street online -- he is posting thomas jefferson's original rough draft of our declaration of independence with revisions added by john adams and benjamin franklin in 1776. most of the rough draft written

in declaration house in the city of brotherly love in philadelphia. we go to new jersey next and hear from roger. good morning. caller: good morning. host: go ahead. you are on the air. caller: yes, i just had a question. i'm not 100% sure what the definition of patriotism. i have lived in the south and grew up in the south and to the north, it was a part of my life. fourth of july was a big day. family get, cookout, fireworks, the whole nine yards. so i am five generation african-american and i have seen a lot. i heard my father talk of this country and he was born in the

early 1900s. so i have -- patriotism to me is different now than it was when i lived in the southern part of the country. even there we had our own fourth of july celebrations and things separate from caucasian. i'm african-american. so patriotism, the term, i'm not really quite sure what that means. that is my first question. my second question is people arriving from europe and other parts of the world are -- are they patriots in the same sense i am? of five generations? because i'm sure that they do not have the same take on what

patriotism is in the united states, seeing they are from other places, just recently arriving here. host: a couple good questions, roger. we appreciate that. a couple travel stories for this long holiday weekend for some with today being tuesday, the fourth of july and last day of that four-day weekend. this is from the washington post. as united tries to make amends, july 4 travel weekend breaks a record. the millions of people that took to the skies ahead of the gile i -- july 4 holiday is getting smooth travel as a transportation set a record for the number of people screened at airports friday. the agency said nearly 2.9 million people moved through checkpoints nationwide, topping the previous record during the sunday after thanksgiving in 2019. the record came despite airlines operating almost 2000 fewer flights hand on the day of the previous record.

that is from the washington post this morning. another travel story for those of you planning to travel overseas, this is the washington times, an associated press piece about seeking a valid passport for the 2023 trip. buckle up, a very different journey if you step anywhere -- before you step near a -- as worldwide travel rebounds to record pre-pandemic levels. with two few humans to handle the load. the result say aspiring travelers in the u.s. and around the world is a maddening pre-travel purgatory defined at best buy costly uncertainty. with family dreams and big money on the line, passport seekers describe the slow agony of waiting, worrying, only refreshing the screen, complaining to congress, paying

extra fees and following incorrect directions. some applicants are buying additional plane tickets to snag and process passports while they sit in other cities in time to make flights they book in the first place. so gives us the outlook for u.s. officials are not denying the problem or predicting when it will ease. they are blaming the wait times on lingering pandemic related staff shortage and a pause of online processing this year. that left the passport agency flooded with a record busting 500,000 applications a week. the deluge is on track to top last year's 22 million passports issued the state department says. let's hear from rick in new york on our question on this fourth of july. go ahead. caller: thanks. yeah, i consider myself a patriot.

my country armed service, there are plenty of ways to serve your country and give your life or your country. i love the usa. i also think it is the worst system on the planet except for all of the others. folks my age, 70 and up, will know who was the president. i think the biggest problem right now is corruption, unlimited corruption in the upper echelons of the country. we have a decline in democracy because of the supreme court, congress, and even the presidency. i think all of them should be given a lie detector test when they start their legislation process, their cohort and they should continue to get one every quarter. that might solve a lot of

problems and god bless america and happy fourth of july. host: you said you served your country. another way we had an earlier caller who served in americorps. were you in something like that? the peace corps? caller: no, i started an industry called the solar industry with 100 other people back in the late t9 -- in the late 1980's and late 1970's and early 1980's when there was no marketplace and today it has grown into a significant part of our country energy production. very proud of that. it took a lot of hard work. never made any real money at it and i would do it all over again because there are a lot of people doing a lot of things that can help our country. looking at nurses, teachers, people that do not take up arms but are taking up a different type of fight. host: thanks for that.

pennsylvania, good morning to todd. caller: hi. yes, i was -- host: todd, mu your volume on your television so there is no feedback. go ahead and mute and go ahead with your comment. caller: ok. host: go ahead with your comment. caller: i was born and raised in the u.s. and my family was in the military and they gave their lives and i believe in freedom. freedom is more than -- freedom is giving your life so i think

i'm -- you have to be willing to give your life. host: all right. we will hear from tj in texas. on the line. caller: hi. good morning and happy fourth of july. [indiscernible] [laughter] anyway, i'm calling, my father started in the korean war. i do believe in freedom and all of that but i also am a child of god and i know no one on this earth is perfect. i'm not bitter about the things

going on in this country but i am concerned because starting with texas, i'm not from texas. i was born and raised in new jersey and lived in philadelphia in my younger years, going to school there. i mother worked three jobs to take care of us. she said is not where you live it is how you live. we had a nice home, she worked hard all her life. my father left when i was one-year-old and she made a good life for us. but her mother's mothers mother was cherokee and my father's side was all afro-americans. my grandfather, my great great great grandfather mother's

mother was cherokee. my youngest brother is light skin. [indiscernible] what i'm trying to get to is this country has to change so much. i am a child of god and i do believe that [indiscernible] i still feel like we have the needy and the poor and [indiscernible] there's 400 churches in this city and you have so many homeless people that need help. the largest city in the united

states to have 400 and these churches will not help anyone. i'm telling you, it is the worst place in the world. even the one in miami was bad because i was at that. the point i'm trying to make is they are oppressed. nothing has changed for the oppressed. i'm talking mainly afro-americans but as far as being patriotic, my father served in the korean war. i got an honorary medical discharge but i'm still considered a veteran, i just don't get the money. host: thanks for calling in this morning.

a couple more minutes left in the program, time for you to get in with your calls. we are joined next however by a radio host who is with us from ktmf in minnesota. good morning and welcome to "washington journal." guest: thanks very much. host: tell us about your show. when is it on and what do your listeners like? guest: well the radio show originated out of wisconsin. it is myself and my 30 or best friend and college roommate. we broadcast from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. central time each weekday, and we play out approximately 14 markets across wisconsin, chicago, minneapolis, and always out. host: throughout the morning on

this program, we are asking our viewers and listeners about patriotism on this july 4. what does that word, what does that mean to you, patriotism? guest: patriotism to me is twofold. i personally am a military vet. i joined the army after iraq invaded kuwait. that was my own personal patriotism but i would say it manifest every day in standing up for our country, standing up for what i believe are the truths. i am the truth and patriotism is really into improve one's country each and every day and i think that is what we endeavored to do on the radio. that is my version of

patriotism. host: as you look at the political scene from minneapolis to washington, d.c., tell us what you think about how the biden administration is doing and your views. you come from a progressive viewpoint on this. guest: just so we're clear, i'm sorry, i do play in minneapolis but have less experience there. i am in wisconsin and i would say here in wisconsin the biden administration has really done some good things. the tony evers administration, governor of the state of wisconsin, has taken federal dollars and specifically invested in hometown mainstream businesses here in wisconsin. so they took covid dollars into

small business incentive dollars, main street owns the grant, just $10,000. but in one of the small markets we play in, wisconsin, a minneapolis market, that little town of 2200 last week they had granted over 30 businesses the small bounce back grants and put them in mainstreet storefronts that had been vacant. in a town of 2200, considering businesses were awarded these grants, there is no commercial real estate available on main street. we ended up putting our radio station in a shopping mall because it was the only available real estate. from the perspective of state and local, i think we are taking federal dollars and are really seeing the investment made on the state level and we are all [indiscernible]

infrastructure investment, took the investment out of the state level and we understand the biden administration is investing over $1 billion in my state in broadband internet structures. i'm up here in wisconsin right now and i can tell you it is hard to get high-speed internet, hard to get -- compete in the modern workforce if you don't have the availability of robust high-speed internet. so from the most direct impact on wisconsinites point of view, the billion-dollar investment in broadband will be a huge thing for the city wisconsin. the bow spec grants, seeing federal dollars turned into state programs i think has been a success story here. host: it's interesting you say that because we are having a little trouble with our zoom signal with you. as we wrap up, for folks who want to hear your show, you mentioned you are on an 14

markets i believe. for folks that want to hear your show, it is available online. guest: the easiest way to find the devils advocate is get the civic media app, civic media in the ios or google store. we play out on all of our talk stations across the state. we are civic media -- it is a statewide media and i'm the president of the corporation. my partner and i, he especially made a huge financial investment in wisconsin but if you to us in, get the civic media app, that is what the real patriots to. guest: appreciate you -- host: appreciate you taking the time and hearing from our "washington journal" viewers. thanks. guest: thank you. host: we have a few minutes left for a couple more calls on this fourth of july morning. let's hear from robert in

cincinnati on patriotism. do you consider yourself patriotic? caller: i do. i am proud to be an american. happy fourth of july to everybody, for those of us that served in the military, serving, and who have served. we do appreciate you. i deafly do and i deafly am very happy and proud to be an american and to be able to get up and be free every day to go to work and contribute and pay bills and live life to the fullest. thank you for those who have served. host: thanks for that. nelson is next in colorado springs. good morning. caller: good morning. happy fourth of july. host: thanks, nelson. go ahead with your comment. caller: apologize.

the thing of it is, sometimes we forget about history. the united states is the greatest country. i've served under seven presidents from vietnam to afghanistan to iraq. sometimes you need to appreciate what you have but i grew up in a small state they call alabama. god has blessed me to move forward but nonetheless we forget sometimes where our heritage is. what is the fourth of july used to celebrate it. but i do not. i am a patriot. i can understand the patriotic part of this but nonetheless, i am a true believer in the united states of america. people come here to get away from oppressive governments. we are not like china, north

korea, even iran and iraq. we are not like them but it is a great deal to say i am american and next time i am a black man. it is great to be. happy fourth of july. i really don't celebrate it. to me it is time off from the government. host: nelson, thanks to you and thanks to all of you for joining in the conversation on this independence day. this fourth of july, the 247th birthday of the united states. go out and celebrate if you are inclined to and enjoy your self. stay safe and we are back tomorrow morning at 7:00 a.m. eastern and we hope you are too. [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2023]