> It's not fun to know that your state at one point seceded so the wealthiest elites could practice slavery.
Civic pride is an interesting concept that can have positive and negative impacts on behavior and psychology. Your desire to feel proud of your state is impeded by its history of slavery, but I'd argue that you shouldn't feel ashamed of living someplace simply because of its history. I feel proud to be part of a culture and civilization that openly acknowledges the mistakes of the past. I also feel distraught that so many people continue to hold on to racist beliefs, but I don't let this make me ashamed of the state I live in.
First and foremost, we are humans. We should feel bonded by that before being bonded as Louisianians, Californians, or by any other political structure. And as you rightly point out, no US state can point to a clean history of love, peace, and harmony. So don't feel bad to be from the South. It sounds like you reject that ugly piece of its history anyway, so as long as you stand up for what's right today, then you can rightly feel proud of yourself and your fellow citizens.
My main point is that the 'feel-good' you get from blind flag-waving patriotism is not worth the price you pay: that price is ignorance or hand-waving about historical evils. Recognize the evils of the past, but don't let that make you feel ashamed about your citizenship.
Civic pride is an interesting concept that can have positive and negative impacts on behavior and psychology. Your desire to feel proud of your state is impeded by its history of slavery, but I'd argue that you shouldn't feel ashamed of living someplace simply because of its history. I feel proud to be part of a culture and civilization that openly acknowledges the mistakes of the past. I also feel distraught that so many people continue to hold on to racist beliefs, but I don't let this make me ashamed of the state I live in.
First and foremost, we are humans. We should feel bonded by that before being bonded as Louisianians, Californians, or by any other political structure. And as you rightly point out, no US state can point to a clean history of love, peace, and harmony. So don't feel bad to be from the South. It sounds like you reject that ugly piece of its history anyway, so as long as you stand up for what's right today, then you can rightly feel proud of yourself and your fellow citizens.
My main point is that the 'feel-good' you get from blind flag-waving patriotism is not worth the price you pay: that price is ignorance or hand-waving about historical evils. Recognize the evils of the past, but don't let that make you feel ashamed about your citizenship.