We asked 25 Americans how they feel about their country. Here’s what they said. ⁠37%

By Joe Heim⁠0% Mariana Trujillo Valdes⁠0%

7/3/2026, 10:00:00 AM

BS Summary: This article contains 37 faulty reasoning types, including Anecdotal, Optimism Bias, and Halo Effect, with Hasty Generalization as the most egregious example at 16.8% saturation with 237 hits. Analysis detected 2,006 faulty-reasoning hits from 1,407 analyzed words, generating a BS Score of 43.5% and a BS Rank of ⁠37% (13,866 of 21,887 articles). This article is better (less manipulative) than 63.40% of the article peer group.

Nowhere does America celebrate itself more than on the National Mall, a narrow swath of green space bounded by monuments, memorials and museums that stretches from the U.S. 
Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial. 
Also known as “America’s Front Yard” it is the destination for visitors from all over the country who want to experience and explore the myriad ways the nation tells its story. 
As the United States prepared to celebrate its 250th birthday, The Washington Post talked with dozens of Americans on the Mall to find out how they are feeling about this moment. 
We asked them what they thought made America great, what made them proud of their country and what their hopes are for America’s future. 
Here is what 25 of them had to say: 
Brody Miller 
14, Cleveland, Ohio 
“Being American? 
It’s freedom, speech, my opinion, education and whatever you want to wear, whatever you want to eat, whatever religion you want to be. 
Just amazing.” 
Victoria Kennedy 
27, Auburn, Alabama 
“I love America. 
I’m so proud of everything we’ve accomplished. 
I think that we do a good job of protecting our country and doing what’s right for it. 
I think it’s important to keep positive relationships with other countries. 
I think that’s a good thing that Donald Trump has done a great job of doing.” 
Jose Arellano 
41, Los Angeles, California 
“The undocumented folks that produce all of our vegetation, the food that is on our plates at dinner, the fruits and vegetables that we’re able to enjoy, that population as well makes me proud to be here and to be supported by them.” 
Leslie Finke 
75, Baltimore, Maryland 
“I never thought I needed to put any effort into safeguarding democracy. 
But whoa, we are living through some unique times. 
And our democracy, I don’t think we can take for granted anymore.” 
Taylor Anderson 
18, Mayville, North Dakota 
“I think that Gen Z, they have great ideas. 
They are so open to new ideas, new opportunities. 
They definitely want what’s best for America. 
And I love seeing that the younger generation wants to be so political and so involved in what’s going on. 
” 
Beenah Moshay 
60, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 
“The ideals of the Founding Fathers for freedom for everyone, even though everyone wasn’t originally included, but that’s the ideal. 
Until recently I wouldn’t have thought that I was a true patriot or American. 
I was just a person, a citizen of the world. 
But lately it’s just hit home to me that I really believe those ideals. 
So if anyone’s a true American or a true patriot, I am she.” 
Abhay Katoch 
22, Washington, D.C. 
“Being the shining city upon the hill, as the Puritans put it, that will probably never come to pass because it’s almost unobtainable. 
But at the same time it also sets a goal for us to work towards.” 
Brenda Sue Lock 
68, Polk County, Florida 
“I’m proud to be an American because I have freedom of religion. 
I like my guns so I like the Constitution. ... 
I’m grateful to be free in America to do as I need to do and speak as I need to.” 
Jason Arceo 
41, Las Vegas, Nevada 
“We always pull through. 
We’re Americans and we’ll always find a way. ... 
So long as you keep your head down and keep moving and keep working, that’s the American way.” 
Kyle Williams 
54, Washington, D.C. 
“I’m proud that we’re still here fighting the good fight. 
I’m proud that we are at least in a generation right now where people are able to talk about the realness of America. 
What’s great about it, what’s not so great about it. 
So I’m proud that we can have a conversation as a community.” 
Tony Thoma 
28, Shawnee, Oklahoma 
“No other nation comes close to even being as free, as God-given as we are in the entire world. 
I just pray every day that we continue to find God. 
I believe that there’s a lot of God that has been lost out of this country.” 
Alan Lin 
19, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 
“My parents came to America and immigrated here and they struggled a lot, right? 
They worked very hard to be able to have their child one day be able to pursue education. ... 
America had a place for my parents, has a place for me and I hope to develop that and maybe give back to the nation one day.” 
Jim Fitton 
69, St. 
Petersburg, Florida 
“What made America great was the fact that everybody took care of everybody. 
I see a lot less and less of it. 
It’s more politics and less taking care of doing the right thing.” 
Hannah Taylor 
17, Manchester, Iowa 
“Being able to go after what I’ve been going after, especially with me wanting to pursue military academies. ... 
Just knowing that I can do that because not everybody in other countries is able to do that, especially as a woman.” 
Don Tint 
38, Fairfax, Virginia 
“My parents are immigrants so that makes me really proud. ... 
I wasn’t born in this country but I came when I was about a year old. ... 
I’ve seen other countries and I’ve seen the way it is in other countries, so it really means a lot that my parents immigrated to this country.” 
Adewale Maye 
29, Washington, D.C. 
“My hopes for this country is that it can get its act together. 
I think that’s the biggest thing. 
I feel like we have definitely taken plenty of steps backwards, specifically over the past year or so. 
And I hope that we can get back on track.” 
Kiarra Young 
13, Corsicana, Texas 
“I feel like the people when we come together, and how we can really connect and put all of our cultures together, we can be accepted pretty well.” 
Linda Lan 
65, Scituate, Massachusetts 
“[I’m] proud that the country has certainly lasted this long under its principles. 
But those principles are coming into question all the time. 
And it has come to the time that even ordinary citizens have to take a look, take stock and speak.” 
Maria Carmen Cruz 
64, Jacksonville, Florida 
“I’m a veteran. 
I served in the United States Army. ... 
So I believe in providing my service to the freedom that we’re entitled to. ... 
Especially as a female, we get a whole lot more freedoms than other countries give to other ladies.” 
Zundra Gleaton 
40, Upper Marlboro, Maryland 
“Honestly it’s getting harder. 
Nothing seems to be coming out the way it should or happening the way it should. ... 
God is first in my life. 
And when God is first. 
And whenever God is first, no matter where you are, American or anywhere else, you’ll be fine, you’ll make it.” 
Roma Shah 
41, Seattle, Washington 
“I think the freedom to be able to dream. 
When I think about what my parents have been through and what my generation and what my kids’ generations are going to go through is there’s not as much predetermination in terms of socioeconomics, education. 
There’s a freedom to dream.” 
Joe Hamm 
47, Hamilton, Alabama 
“I’m proud because this has traditionally been a land where there’s opportunity for people to come here to explore their freedom, to follow their dreams, to carve out a life for themselves. 
And so I’m proud of the traditional values that we’ve held as a country since our founding.” 
Kelise Stewart 
21, Laurel, Maryland 
“I feel like a lot of people see an issue with how diverse America is, but I feel like that’s one of the good things about it. ... 
I like America enough to want to stay here but I really, really wish our politicians, and sorry but our president was a lot less racist.” 
Emily Jolly 
44, Austin, Texas 
“My hopes for the country going forward are that we take stock of ourselves as a nation and assess if this is really the direction that we think we should be going. 
We’ve been better and we can be better than what we’re doing today.” 
Sarah Johnson 
54, Lakeville, Minnesota 
“I have three simple principles that I give to my almost adult children: graduate from high school, don’t get arrested and don’t start a family until you’re ready, and I think you can be successful. 
I mean, you can achieve just about anything here.” 
Article reasoning-pattern comparisonThis article: 1.8%Joe Heim: 0.7%The Washington Post: 3.8%Confirmation Bias1.8%This article: 0.0%Joe Heim: 0.3%The Washington Post: 1.3%Anchoring Bias0.0%This article: 6.5%Joe Heim: 2.4%The Washington Post: 4.9%Availability Heuristic6.5%This article: 0.0%Joe Heim: 0.0%The Washington Post: 1.0%Representativeness Heuristic0.0%This article: 1.0%Joe Heim: 0.6%The Washington Post: 0.5%Hindsight Bias1.0%This article: 2.5%Joe Heim: 0.6%The Washington Post: 1.2%Overconfidence Bias2.5%This article: 3.7%Joe Heim: 1.5%The Washington Post: 21.5%Framing Effect3.7%This article: 0.0%Joe Heim: 0.0%The Washington Post: 0.8%Loss Aversion0.0%This article: 5.7%Joe Heim: 3.0%The Washington Post: 0.9%Status Quo Bias5.7%This article: 0.9%Joe Heim: 0.2%The Washington Post: 0.1%Sunk Cost Effect0.9%This article: 9.1%Joe Heim: 7.2%The Washington Post: 3.6%Optimism Bias9.1%This article: 4.5%Joe Heim: 3.6%The Washington Post: 3.6%Pessimism Bias4.5%This article: 7.1%Joe Heim: 5.0%The Washington Post: 18.5%Negativity Bias7.1%This article: 4.3%Joe Heim: 1.4%The Washington Post: 1.5%Self-Serving Bias4.3%This article: 2.5%Joe Heim: 0.6%The Washington Post: 0.9%Fundamental Attribution Error2.5%This article: 0.0%Joe Heim: 0.0%The Washington Post: 0.1%Actor-Observer Bias0.0%This article: 6.0%Joe Heim: 6.4%The Washington Post: 2.2%In-Group Bias6.0%This article: 0.0%Joe Heim: 1.0%The Washington Post: 0.8%Out-Group Homogeneity Bias0.0%This article: 8.9%Joe Heim: 2.0%The Washington Post: 2.1%Halo Effect8.9%This article: 0.0%Joe Heim: 0.0%The Washington Post: 0.4%Horn Effect0.0%This article: 0.0%Joe Heim: 0.0%The Washington Post: 0.0%Dunning-Kruger Effect0.0%This article: 6.8%Joe Heim: 2.9%The Washington Post: 2.4%Recency Bias6.8%This article: 3.1%Joe Heim: 0.7%The Washington Post: 1.0%Primacy Effect3.1%This article: 0.9%Joe Heim: 0.2%The Washington Post: 0.0%Blind-Spot Bias0.9%This article: 1.8%Joe Heim: 0.8%The Washington Post: 0.9%Ad Hominem1.8%This article: 0.0%Joe Heim: 0.0%The Washington Post: 0.1%Straw Man0.0%This article: 1.7%Joe Heim: 1.0%The Washington Post: 5.2%Appeal to Authority1.7%This article: 4.3%Joe Heim: 1.2%The Washington Post: 1.5%False Dilemma4.3%This article: 2.3%Joe Heim: 0.5%The Washington Post: 1.0%Slippery Slope2.3%This article: 1.1%Joe Heim: 0.2%The Washington Post: 0.1%Circular Reasoning1.1%This article: 16.8%Joe Heim: 8.7%The Washington Post: 5.9%Hasty Generalization16.8%This article: 0.0%Joe Heim: 0.0%The Washington Post: 0.1%Red Herring0.0%This article: 0.6%Joe Heim: 0.1%The Washington Post: 0.5%Bandwagon0.6%This article: 5.5%Joe Heim: 1.7%The Washington Post: 6.3%Appeal to Emotion5.5%This article: 1.4%Joe Heim: 0.3%The Washington Post: 1.0%Begging the Question1.4%This article: 0.0%Joe Heim: 0.7%The Washington Post: 4.5%Post Hoc (False Cause)0.0%This article: 0.0%Joe Heim: 0.0%The Washington Post: 0.2%Tu Quoque0.0%This article: 1.4%Joe Heim: 0.3%The Washington Post: 0.6%Burden of Proof1.4%This article: 2.6%Joe Heim: 0.6%The Washington Post: 0.1%Appeal to Nature2.6%This article: 0.9%Joe Heim: 0.2%The Washington Post: 0.1%Composition/Division0.9%This article: 10.1%Joe Heim: 3.3%The Washington Post: 1.9%Anecdotal10.1%This article: 2.3%Joe Heim: 1.0%The Washington Post: 0.2%No True Scotsman2.3%This article: 0.7%Joe Heim: 0.2%The Washington Post: 2.7%Ambiguity (Equivocation)0.7%This article: 0.0%Joe Heim: 0.0%The Washington Post: 0.0%Gambler’s Fallacy0.0%This article: 0.0%Joe Heim: 0.0%The Washington Post: 0.1%Middle Ground0.0%This article: 0.0%Joe Heim: 0.0%The Washington Post: 0.0%Personal Incredulity0.0%This article: 0.0%Joe Heim: 0.0%The Washington Post: 0.1%Special Pleading0.0%This article: 0.0%Joe Heim: 0.0%The Washington Post: 0.2%Genetic Fallacy0.0%This article: 1.6%Joe Heim: 1.1%The Washington Post: 4.8%Unattributed Quote1.6%This article: 0.0%Joe Heim: 0.0%The Washington Post: 2.5%Quote-first Misdirection0.0%This article: 5.3%Joe Heim: 2.4%The Washington Post: 15.2%Biased Writer Voice5.3%This article: 3.1%Joe Heim: 0.7%The Washington Post: 2.0%Indoctrination3.1%This article: 1.8%Joe Heim: 0.8%The Washington Post: 3.6%Politically Left Leaning Bias1.8%This article: 1.8%Joe Heim: 1.3%The Washington Post: 1.4%Politically Right Leaning Bias1.8%This article: 0.0%Joe Heim: 0.0%The Washington Post: 1.5%Attempt to Sell a Product or S…0.0%

1407 words analyzed.

Speakers

25speakers90%attributed speech142writer words
Voice mapSelect a segment to jump to its words
Writer's voice • 10 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 4 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 28 words • 100.0% coverageWriter's voice • 5 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 31 words • 100.0% coverageWriter's voice • 31 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 24 words • 100.0% coverageWriter's voice • 9 words • 0.0% coverageBrody Miller • 2 words • 0.0% coverageBrody Miller • 3 words • 0.0% coverageBrody Miller • 2 words • 0.0% coverageBrody Miller • 23 words • 100.0% coverageBrody Miller • 2 words • 100.0% coverageVictoria Kennedy • 2 words • 0.0% coverageVictoria Kennedy • 3 words • 0.0% coverageVictoria Kennedy • 3 words • 0.0% coverageVictoria Kennedy • 7 words • 0.0% coverageVictoria Kennedy • 18 words • 0.0% coverageVictoria Kennedy • 11 words • 0.0% coverageVictoria Kennedy • 16 words • 100.0% coverageJose Arellano • 2 words • 0.0% coverageJose Arellano • 4 words • 0.0% coverageJose Arellano • 43 words • 0.0% coverageLeslie Finke • 2 words • 0.0% coverageLeslie Finke • 3 words • 0.0% coverageLeslie Finke • 12 words • 0.0% coverageLeslie Finke • 9 words • 0.0% coverageLeslie Finke • 12 words • 0.0% coverageTaylor Anderson • 2 words • 0.0% coverageTaylor Anderson • 4 words • 0.0% coverageTaylor Anderson • 9 words • 0.0% coverageTaylor Anderson • 9 words • 0.0% coverageTaylor Anderson • 7 words • 0.0% coverageTaylor Anderson • 20 words • 0.0% coverageTaylor Anderson • 1 words • 0.0% coverageBeenah Moshay • 2 words • 0.0% coverageBeenah Moshay • 3 words • 0.0% coverageBeenah Moshay • 20 words • 0.0% coverageBeenah Moshay • 14 words • 0.0% coverageBeenah Moshay • 10 words • 0.0% coverageBeenah Moshay • 14 words • 0.0% coverageBeenah Moshay • 13 words • 0.0% coverageAbhay Katoch • 2 words • 0.0% coverageAbhay Katoch • 3 words • 0.0% coverageAbhay Katoch • 23 words • 0.0% coverageAbhay Katoch • 15 words • 0.0% coverageBrenda Sue Lock • 3 words • 0.0% coverageBrenda Sue Lock • 4 words • 0.0% coverageBrenda Sue Lock • 12 words • 0.0% coverageBrenda Sue Lock • 10 words • 100.0% coverageBrenda Sue Lock • 20 words • 0.0% coverageJason Arceo • 2 words • 0.0% coverageJason Arceo • 4 words • 0.0% coverageJason Arceo • 4 words • 0.0% coverageJason Arceo • 9 words • 0.0% coverageJason Arceo • 18 words • 0.0% coverageKyle Williams • 2 words • 0.0% coverageKyle Williams • 3 words • 0.0% coverageKyle Williams • 10 words • 0.0% coverageKyle Williams • 23 words • 0.0% coverageKyle Williams • 10 words • 0.0% coverageKyle Williams • 12 words • 0.0% coverageTony Thoma • 2 words • 0.0% coverageTony Thoma • 3 words • 0.0% coverageTony Thoma • 19 words • 0.0% coverageTony Thoma • 11 words • 0.0% coverageTony Thoma • 16 words • 0.0% coverageAlan Lin • 2 words • 0.0% coverageAlan Lin • 3 words • 0.0% coverageAlan Lin • 14 words • 100.0% coverageAlan Lin • 19 words • 0.0% coverageAlan Lin • 27 words • 0.0% coverageJim Fitton • 2 words • 0.0% coverageJim Fitton • 2 words • 0.0% coverageJim Fitton • 2 words • 0.0% coverageJim Fitton • 13 words • 0.0% coverageJim Fitton • 9 words • 0.0% coverageJim Fitton • 12 words • 0.0% coverageHannah Taylor • 2 words • 0.0% coverageHannah Taylor • 3 words • 0.0% coverageHannah Taylor • 19 words • 0.0% coverageHannah Taylor • 22 words • 0.0% coverageDon Tint • 2 words • 0.0% coverageDon Tint • 3 words • 0.0% coverageDon Tint • 11 words • 0.0% coverageDon Tint • 17 words • 0.0% coverageDon Tint • 27 words • 0.0% coverageAdewale Maye • 2 words • 0.0% coverageAdewale Maye • 3 words • 0.0% coverageAdewale Maye • 13 words • 0.0% coverageAdewale Maye • 6 words • 0.0% coverageAdewale Maye • 18 words • 0.0% coverageAdewale Maye • 10 words • 0.0% coverageKiarra Young • 2 words • 0.0% coverageKiarra Young • 3 words • 0.0% coverageKiarra Young • 28 words • 0.0% coverageLinda Lan • 2 words • 0.0% coverageLinda Lan • 3 words • 0.0% coverageLinda Lan • 13 words • 0.0% coverageLinda Lan • 10 words • 0.0% coverageLinda Lan • 20 words • 100.0% coverageMaria Carmen Cruz • 3 words • 0.0% coverageMaria Carmen Cruz • 3 words • 0.0% coverageMaria Carmen Cruz • 3 words • 0.0% coverageMaria Carmen Cruz • 8 words • 0.0% coverageMaria Carmen Cruz • 15 words • 0.0% coverageMaria Carmen Cruz • 18 words • 0.0% coverageZundra Gleaton • 2 words • 0.0% coverageZundra Gleaton • 4 words • 0.0% coverageZundra Gleaton • 4 words • 0.0% coverageZundra Gleaton • 17 words • 0.0% coverageZundra Gleaton • 6 words • 0.0% coverageZundra Gleaton • 5 words • 0.0% coverageZundra Gleaton • 20 words • 0.0% coverageRoma Shah • 2 words • 0.0% coverageRoma Shah • 3 words • 0.0% coverageRoma Shah • 9 words • 0.0% coverageRoma Shah • 35 words • 0.0% coverageRoma Shah • 5 words • 0.0% coverageJoe Hamm • 2 words • 0.0% coverageJoe Hamm • 3 words • 0.0% coverageJoe Hamm • 32 words • 0.0% coverageJoe Hamm • 17 words • 0.0% coverageKelise Stewart • 2 words • 0.0% coverageKelise Stewart • 3 words • 0.0% coverageKelise Stewart • 28 words • 0.0% coverageKelise Stewart • 26 words • 100.0% coverageEmily Jolly • 2 words • 0.0% coverageEmily Jolly • 3 words • 0.0% coverageEmily Jolly • 32 words • 0.0% coverageEmily Jolly • 13 words • 0.0% coverageSarah Johnson • 2 words • 0.0% coverageSarah Johnson • 3 words • 0.0% coverageSarah Johnson • 35 words • 0.0% coverageSarah Johnson • 9 words • 0.0% coverage
Selected voice

Kelise Stewart

92%flagged-word coverage
59 attributed words4.7% of attributed speech58% writer coverage
0%22.5%45.0%Politically Left Leaning B+44.1 ptsWriter: 0.0%Kelise Stewart: 44.1%44.1%Biased Writer Voice-41.5 ptsWriter: 41.5%Kelise Stewart: 0.0%0.0%Indoctrination-16.9 ptsWriter: 16.9%Kelise Stewart: 0.0%0.0%

Attribution is sentence-level. Pattern percentages are calculated only from words assigned to that voice.

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Analysis

Hover over highlighted words in the article to view the associated bias or fallacy analysis.