According to the findings of a recent study conducted by the Wall Street Journal and the NORC, the value that Americans place on things like patriotism, religious faith, having children, and other traditional priorities that have helped define the national character for decades is decreasing at a rapid and troubling pace.
The survey, which was carried out in collaboration with the nonpartisan research organization NORC at the University of Chicago, also found that political party affiliation had a significant impact on respondents’ opinions regarding social trends such as the promotion of racial diversity in the workplace and the adoption of gender-neutral pronouns.
A total of 38% of respondents cited their patriotism as being extremely important to them, while 39% cited their religious beliefs as being very significant.
This was a significant drop from 1998, when the Journal initially posed the question, when 70% of respondents believed patriotism to be very essential and 62% of respondents believed religion to be very important.
The percentage of people in the United States who believe that having children, being active in their community, and working hard are extremely important values has likewise decreased significantly
The percentage of Americans who believe that showing tolerance toward others is highly essential has decreased from 80 percent just four years ago to 58 percent now. A troubling trend for those concerned about civil society.
Since the Journal first asked about unifying values, a number of events have shaken and, in some ways, fractured the nation.
These events include the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, the financial crisis of 2008 and subsequent economic downturn, and the rise of former President Donald Trump.
Among these events, the nation has been shaken and, in some ways, fractured.
When pollsters inquired about these aims and values in 1998 and 2019, respondents of all ages, including seniors, assigned a far lower priority to them than they did in 2019.
Yet, newer generations of Americans, in particular, place little significance on these principles, even though many of them were significant aspects of their parents’ life.
The latest study asked persons of all ages, and 59% of those aged 65 and over said that patriotism was extremely important to them personally.
In comparison, just 23% of adults under the age of 30 responded in the same way.
In comparison, just around 31% of those in the younger age group answered that religion was extremely important to them, while 55% of those in the older age group said the same thing.
Just 23% of persons under the age of 30 surveyed indicated they thought it was extremely essential to have children.
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The untested are unprepared for life.
Those who have been tested, know God, and through Him, a Love of Country.
They have a grasp for what is important in life, and what is trivial.
The Trivial are squirrels who grab our attention, while the fox enters the Hen House.