On July 4, 1776, the fathers of the United States of America formally declared our
             independence from British rule. Lacking a stable government and financial resources, our
             predecessors marched on an endless grid of bloody battle fields with the vision of a new
             nation---a nation in which they shared a love not for what it was, but for what it had the
             potential to be. This was an era of absolute allegiance, when little boys paid homage to
             our politicians and hoped to one day be a leader in a free and equal nation. Such
             love--such nationalism--has never been so potent as that critical moment in history.
             Unfortunately, our nation has seen a regression in patriotic deeds. Politics are
             disregarded and, likewise, politicians are deemed as fools. Paul Goodman addresses this
             issue in the excerpt, "Patriotism" , from the novel, Growing Up Absurd. In this piece,
             Goodman attempts to identify some of the key factors which have contributed to the
             decline of patriotism, ultimately placing the responsibility on many of society's affluent
             Goodman first places the responsibility on parental guidance within the home.
             "....patriotism is the culture of childhood and adolescence. Without this first culture, we
             come with a fatal emptiness to the humane culture of science, art, humanity, and God..."
             (Goodman, 1962). Here, Goodman molds a comparison between patriotism and the
             subjective aspects of adult society. He implies that, if as a child, one cannot build a
             faithful relationship with his own country, he will not be able to form more complex
             relationships nor gain appreciation for commodities such as art, science or religion. This
             idea supports the framework of our modern educational system. We teach entering
             students the essentials. We create songs, play games, dress up, all in attempts to stimulate
             the chills learning capabilities as well as expand the use of imagination...