Toby Keith's love of America and all it stands for was evident in practically everything he did. Whether it was performing in front of a large crowd or simply just standing up and saying what he thought. It was at one of those live performances that Keith told the crowd, "Never apologize for being patriotic! F*** 'em!" While the language might have been geared toward the concert spicy, it was straight-up Toby Keith. But now, in our cancel culture, don't-offend-the-snowflakes era, Americans really are afraid to be patriotic. Why?

“Never apologize for being patriotic” -Toby Keith pic.twitter.com/moHoBBW2ni

— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) February 6, 2024

Maybe it's best to ask another question first. Does one's level of open patriotism depend on where you live? Perhaps. Toby Keith was born in the small town of Clinton, Oklahoma, population 2,282, in 1961. The Cold War was in full swing, the race between the United States and Russia to determine which was the more prolific superpower and, therefore, which form of government was superior. In 1961, in a place like Clinton, from the moment of your birth, you would be taught to love America and certainly not to hide it. In school, you would begin your day by saying the Pledge of Allegiance, and probably no one opted to take a knee in those days. Your dad was most likely a veteran, as were the fathers of your friends. Most houses on your street had American flags hanging out front.

The values and attitudes learned in towns like Clinton, Oklahoma, don't change much. Contrast that with those that today's American kids are being taught in much larger cities and towns. Children are being taught from the moment they can grasp the concept that America is an inherently bad place, and it is an especially bad place if you are black or brown. Those same black and brown kids are being taught that their white classmates hate them simply for what they look like. They are being taught that if you look a certain way, your country hates you. No more do those same kids start their day saying the Pledge of Allegiance. Nor are they being taught that in no other country on earth, if they are willing to work hard, that they can be anything they want. They are being taught that a rotten place like America needs to be destroyed. It becomes pretty clear why the military that Toby Keith loved so much is today unable to meet its recruitment goals. If you teach America's children to hate their country, how can we expect them to love and defend it and to feel patriotic towards it? Before we can expect people to be unafraid to be patriotic, we might just have to teach them first, how to be patriotic.

Toby Keith was pro-America without apology. He wrote songs about the values our nation was founded upon - faith, family, hard work, patriotism. He refused to bow to toxic cancellation or anti-Americanism. Our country is better because of men like Toby Keith. Rest in peace. 🙏🏾 🇺🇸

— Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) February 6, 2024

Fortunately, it may still be a safe bet to say that patriotic Americans outnumber unpatriotic Americans. So if there are more of us than there are of them, why don't we speak up? For many of the reasons stated above, and also that, for younger Americans, being patriotic is seen as somehow being "uncool." If adults are the role models to kids, then it is up to us to stop being afraid we will offend a snowflake. America is not a perfect nation, and it's inhabited by imperfect human beings—but that doesn't mean you should be afraid to fly that American flag proudly in front of your house. If you have to teach American greatness at home, do it. Don't be afraid of it. Teach it at home if you must, and don't apologize for it. 

As my colleague Jennifer O'Connell so accurately and wisely pointed out, unapologetic patriots like Toby Keith are a dying breed, especially in the entertainment industry. That's a scary thing. If there is some sort of lesson in Toby Keith's death, it might be that it is high time more Americans become unapologetically patriotic.