Tricia McLaughlin is a Republican political strategist and the former communications director to Gov. Mike DeWine re-election campaign and the Ohio Republican Party. 

A recent Morning Consult survey found that just 16% of Generation Z adults, ages 18 to 25, say that they are “proud to live in the United States.”

Millennials were second lowest, with only 36% self-reporting as proud to be American.

Drawing a broader picture, just 38% of U.S. adults say they are "extremely proud" to be American–that’s the lowest since Gallup's poll began in 2001, pre-9/11–at that time a whopping 87%to be “extremely” or “very” proud.

What happened to American pride?

So, why is no one sounding the alarm?

The political left and media maniacally blow the whistle on the threat of climate change, and yet, it’s crickets when it comes to the survival of our republic.

Consternation on patriotism collapsing seems isolated to Twitter fodder. There’s little, if any, press coverage on this deeply troubling trend. Still, it’s consistent with what Americans see every day.

Gen Z-ers came of age in the era of a kneeling Colin Kaepernick – taught that love of country and recognition of internal flaws are mutually exclusive.

Amelia Robinson:Opinion: Hypocrisy means the wrong things are too often canceled in our culture

Young people are inundated with anti-American messages: American education institutions proclaiming America’s inherent and systemic racism; TikTok brainwashing courtesy of the Chinese Communist Party; and, of course, Hollywood and left-wing media pundits reliably sing their America-bashing chorus.

More:To begin second term, Gov. Mike DeWine bans TikTok from state-owned devices

Even U.S. corporations are jumping on the anti-America train–there’s always a dollar to be made. For brevity’s sake, here are just a few examples:

• Just last month, Stanford University deemed the term ‘American’ as harmful language, which should be replaced with the term ‘US citizen.’

• Nike yanked the sale of its Independence Day-themed sneakers featuring the original Betsy Ross American flag over concerns that it might "unintentionally offend" people.

• Ahead of the 2022 midterms, Chinese State Media used TikTok to attack U.S. politicians and push divisive social issues to divide Americans. None of these Chinese propaganda accounts had labels disclosing they were state-controlled media.

More:Stanford's political correctness czars deem 'American' and 'guys' harmful words (no joke)

• New York Times editorial board member Mara Gay said in the summer of 2021 that she was “disturbed” to see “dozens of American flags” flown in Long Island ahead of the former President’s visit.

But, how does one feel pride in country when they are taught that America is an irredeemably racist nation?

Always prescient, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed:  “All the armies of Europe and Asia...could not by force take a drink from the Ohio River or make a track on the Blue Ridge in the trial of a thousand years. No, if destruction be our lot we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of free men we will live forever or die by suicide.”

The million-dollar question is how do we save our country from self-destruction?

The call is coming from inside the house.

Unlike almost all other nations, America has not depended on an ethnic identity to unite its people. Throughout our country’s history, a chiefly American identity has unified its people and has been essential to the political and social health of our nation.

Our current culture encourages religion-like identity silos based exclusively on political affiliation, race, sexual orientation, and gender, only serving to divide us.

What does unite us, is the revolutionary idea that “we the people,” are endowed with God-given rights of liberty, equality, and justice. Of course, our history and track record of upholding these rights is imperfect–still, it is these perfect ideals that call all rally behind.

Love of country shouldn’t be a partisan issue. It’s essential to our Republic’s survival.

American parents seem to be waking up to hostility in classrooms toward traditional American values.

Those in boardrooms must, too, dig their heads out from under the sand to defend the immense opportunities this country has afforded us. Those U.S. academic institutions, which denigrate the very nation that funds them, should reconsider their stances as they accept American taxpayer dollars. Politicians campaigning to serve a nation they deem “irredeemable” need not apply.

We are excruciatingly blessed to be American citizens. The stakes are simply too high and the threat of losing that blessing is too real–politicians, educators, parents, and Americans of every political stripe who care about the survival of our nation must grapple with this internal rot before it's too late.

Tricia McLaughlin is a Republican political strategist and the former communications director to Gov. Mike DeWine re-election campaign and the Ohio Republican Party. 

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Tricia McLaughlin: No one sounding alarm about death of American pride