民调：美国250周年之际国家认同感严重分裂

E NATION'S 250TH ANNIVERSARY WELL UNDERWAY, THE MOOD OF THE COUNTRY AND CITIZENS CAN BE SUMMED UP AS COMPLICATED. ACCORDING TO A POLL. MOST AMERICANS IN THE NATION HAS DRIFTED FROM ITS FOUNDING IDEALS. BIG ROMAN NUMBERS SAY DIVISIONS HAVE BECOME SO SEVERE THAT VIOLENCE MAY BE NECESSARY TO SET THE COUNTRY BACK ON THE RIGHT PATH. LIZ LANDERS HAS MORE INSIGHTS FROM THE POOL AND ITS RESPONDENTS. LIZ: FLAGS, FIREWORKS AND FANFARE.

THE PAGEANTRY OF THE COUNTRY'S 250TH BIRTHDAY, SOME FEEL A SENSE OF NATIONAL PRIDE.

I HAVE BEEN FORTUNATE TO TRAVEL AND WORK WITH A LOT OF PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD. THIS IS A GOOD PLACE. WITH ALL ITS FAULTS, THERE IS NOT MUCH LIKE YOU DO IN THE WORLD. LIZ: GERALD REMEMBERS AMERICA'S BICENTENNIAL 50 YEARS AGO, WHICH HE SAID FELT LIKE A NATIONAL PARTY. HE SAID SOMETHING IS DIFFERENT THIS YEAR.

THIS TIME IT IS UNFORTUNATELY NOT AS JOYFUL AS IT COULD HAVE BEEN. LIZ: AT THIS MILESTONE MOMENT, 2/3 OF RESPONDENT IN THE LATEST POLL SAID THEY ARE PROUD TO BE AMERICAN. 1/3 ARE NOT. THOSE FEELINGS ARE LARGELY ALIGNED BY POLITICAL ALIGNMENT AND THE GAP IS ENORMOUS. 93 PERCENT OF REPUBLICANS SAY THEY ARE PROUD. JUST 45% OF DEMOCRATS AND 61% OF INDEPENDENTS STAY THE SAME.

I'M NOT PROUD. IT IS EMBARRASSING WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THIS COUNTRY. LIZ: SHE IS A NATURALIZED CITIZEN AND A POLITICAL INDEPENDENT. SHE SAID THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION'S ANTI-IMMIGRATION AGENDA HAS ARE WORRIED.

I WAS BORN IN MEXICO. IT FILLS ME WITH SADNESS TO SEE WHAT IS HAPPENING TO IMMIGRANTS. AND HOW WE ARE BEING TARGETED BECAUSE OF THE COLOR OF OUR SKIN. LIZ: NEARLY HALF OF AMERICANS IN THE COUNTRY HAS MOVED FAR AWAY FROM THE PRINCIPLES AND IDEAS ON WHICH IT WAS FOUNDED. JUST 16% SAY IT REPRESENTS THE NATION'S FOUNDING BELIEFS.

IT HAS COME A LONG WAY FROM THE BEGINNING. IT WAS NOWHERE CLOSE TO PERFECT AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS COUNTRY. I THINK WE HAVE COME A LONG WAY. LIZ: HE IS A POLITICAL INDEPENDENT FROM INDIANA. HE SAID HE IS PROUD BUT CLEAR EYED ABOUT HOW FOR THE COUNTRY STILL HAS TO GO.

THERE ARE DOUBTS ABOUT WHERE WE ARE AND WHERE WE ARE HEADED. LIZ: HE IS THE DIRECTOR OF THE MARIST INSTITUTE FOR PUBLIC OPINION.

I DO NOT THINK IT IS SURPRISING AS MUCH AS IT CAN STILL BE CONSIDERED SHOCKING THAT AFTER 250 YEARS THIS GRAND EXPERIMENT IN DEMOCRACY, FOLKS ARE HAVING SERIOUS DOUBTS AND WONDERING HOW FAR WE STRAYED FROM OUR PRINCIPLES. LIZ: THOSE EARLY FOUNDING STATEMENTS, BUT ALL MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL, THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS IS A CENTRAL RIGHT, CONTINUE TO FACE NEW TESTS IN THE 21ST CENTURY.

THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE QUESTIONING WHETHER THOSE THINGS ARE TRUE ANYMORE. LIZ: BEVERLY IS A HISTORIAN AT GALE UNIVERSITY AND AN AUTHOR.

THERE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN IN THE UNITED STATES DEEP CONCERNS ABOUT WHETHER THE COUNTRY WOULD HOLD TOGETHER, WHETHER IT WERE JUST THIS BIG MISHMASH OF DIFFERENT PEOPLE WITH DIFFERENT EXPERIENCES AND DIFFERENT BELIEFS, OR WHETHER THERE WAS SOMETHING THAT REALLY UNITES THE COUNTRY. WE ARE SEEING A PARTICULARLY ACUTE SENSE