Nazi salutes, national anthems, and flags all have one common goal: to promote pride in a cause or country. This is called nationalism. Many confuse nationalism as something solely positive, like waving the american flag to celebrate the Fourth of July, or singing the national anthem at a football game. According to Merriam Webster, nationalism is so much more, and takes on many different forms. For example, nationalism is defined as loyalty or devotion to a nation, but more importantly, it’s the belief that a single country or culture is superior than another. One of the most famous examples of this type of nationalism is the reign of the Nazi party during World War II. Hitler stressed the importance of the “purification” of the German race and discriminated against and murdered hundreds of thousands of people unfit to the German ideal. This idea of superiority then feeds into the idea of White Supremacy, which can be seen anywhere from racial slurs to the activities of the Ku Klux Klan.

Because of national scandals in the media, there is a clear sense of unacceptable nationalistic ideals has become a chaotic movement in our country. These concepts of discrimination are outdated and immature; it’s 2018, not the 1800’s. It’s great to be an American, but inequality, sexism, racism, and fascism should not be tolerated in our melting pot of people. We should not be afraid or confused by those who are different from us, nor act on these evil urges. We should stand with those who advocate for equality and diversity; after all, we are all humans.

At the national level, the face of our country has helped justify the rise of racial supremacy, and has silenced the voices of many. Donald Trump hasn’t set America on fire, but socially he is tearing this country apart. Prior to Trump’s presidency, his campaign focused on two statements including “Make America Great Again” and “build the wall,” both of which are found to be “dog whistles,” a term used to describe coded messages familiar to a specific group of people with a significant meaning. “Make America Great Again” is one of these slogans that symbolizes Trump’s party as well as a white supremacist, nativist community. Trump has emboldened a community of discriminatory people who have participated in several traumatic events and movements. Due to this encouragement, there is a revival of the KKK, antisemitism violence, and a rise in police brutality. These radical groups have taken root in our country, and we shouldn’t put total blame on our president. But as our president, Trump should take all Americans into account and  influence the people to respect everyone, whether they are black, muslim, white, or gay.

As Americans become more influenced by these ideals, they reach the country’s youth and eventually enter schools. A huge controversy that has recently appeared in the media is a prom photo of some students at Baraboo High School in Wisconsin, Ohio, performing what appears to be the Nazi Salute. Events like this have definitely been more prevalent in students’ lives, yet there are not many who intend to do anything to stop it. We may think this is such a foreign concept to Bowie, but this scandal doesn’t hit too far from home. What about the smaller things, like swastikas on desks, or racial and offensive “jokes” that are often tossed around during school? These little things that happen everyday on campus contribute to a larger, more serious cause, even if it doesn’t seem like that big of a deal.

So we can all agree that discriminatory ideals are a problem that has no doubt become a larger problem in our society, and has backtracked societal progression for several years. In order to progress, we must educate the youth, vote for figures who will not tolerate this behavior, and, most importantly, to find it in ourselves to accept differences and stand up for those who are being attacked by people who continue to be ignorant. After all, we are citizens of a diverse, accepting country that is tailored to the people. Let’s continue and improve that legacy.