Reading Who are we? was very interesting due to how relevant the information in chapter one is to today’s current society. In chapter one the author speaks about American identity and how in today’s society it appears that there is a lack of connection between the people and their American identity. The author goes on to talk about how throughout American history it has typically been the case that when America is in a time of conflict or extreme stress a higher level of patriotism arises. After the September 11th attacks the author explains that American flag sales skyrocketed and the feeling of patriotism throughout the country expanded tremendously. I believe this notion of American citizens gaining more patriotism in times of conflict is an accurate idea and that since we are in no real major conflict at the moment there is an overall lack of patriotism within the general American population. The reason I believe the authors ideas on patriotism are interesting in terms of today’s culture is that since America is not involved in a major conflict there has been a lot of tension internally within the country. The lack of an international conflict I believe is leading people to find a conflict within the country. This internal conflict is creating a sense of patriotism in one group and further pushing people from a sense of an American identity in the other. Is the internal conflict the reason for this split, or was this something that was inevitable in American society? How does an internal conflict in America make people feel even stronger about their country?