For one short little blog, I want to brush aside my partisan opinions to simply state how I feel about my country. I love it. I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else. Every time I think about the sacrifices our soldiers made to fight the British, every time I think about our founding fathers’ words, every time I think about how many immigrants wanted to come here during the mass migration from 1892-1954 and how many want to come here today, and every time I think about our men and women that are in Iraq and Afghanistan right now who are willing to risk their lives for this country, it brings a tear to my eyes. I think a lot of us take the freedoms we have for granted and forget that not everybody has them. In other parts of the world, there are people killed for their religious beliefs or for being homosexual, there are women that get treated as subhuman, etc. Sure, there are other free and civilized countries too, but I’m still glad I’m an American. I’m just so grateful for the freedom we have here and for our soldiers who risked/risk their lives for it. Regardless of whether you are a Liberal, Conservative, Libertarian, etc, hopefully everyone who reads this can agree with me on this—This is the best country ever.
Proud to Be an American
By Katie Marie - Posted on March 13th, 2008
I haven't agreed with you much, but I have to agree that we have a pretty damn good system here! My only caveat is not to rest on our laurels. Yes, we have a great system, but we should always be asking what we can do to improve it. Thinking we don't need improvement is hubris. And we should also remember that people in other countries may feel the same way about their home, and their feelings are equally valid.
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/ediblewoman
SOmething interesting that happened to my dad was a college prof. gave every student a list of every country in the world and said, "Let's start with A, who would rather live in Albania, go on raise your hand" and they went through they whole class. and everyone decided that America is the greatest place on this earth to live.
I love this country and wholly agree with you
i am happy when a citizen of any country is proud to be born there. i think its human nature that the Canadians, islaelis are proud to be the citizens of their country. I do tend to disagree with the common motion that the US is the "greatest" country out there. Don't you think it's all relative?.Most people i have met in the us holding to this belief have never left continental us. so their theory of comparison is compromised to the sound bites of fox news and cnn.
Sure, we have more technology and waste than many countries combined. But our society is losing it. We only care about the glamor in holly wood, but the basic fiber that we used to know about America are being washed away slowly by slowly. Justice in America, just like many countries i have lived is divided between the rich and poor. We are too eager to support the troops, and yet when the get back here we cut their benefits from health care, to GI bill benefits.
The phrase that America is the greatest country because many people come here i think its very overstated. People come here when they compare the alternatives. America was founded by immigrant running away from prosecution in Europe. I don't think the queen i killing people anymore!. By the time an American kid is done with school, he is full of debt, that he can barely compete. no wonder we rant at the bottom on happiness index, we are at the bottom of the list in quality health care to all.... can i go on.
Nations used to run away to America because we "had" a bill of rights rights to protect us from the feds. Today, even as a us citizen, few people know that you can be locked away with no trial by jury of your peers.... i wish i can email James Madison who came up with the idea of bill of rights, sure i know that he would be turning in his grave.
The bottom line is that being an American is just to believe in the ideals of the founding fathers, unlike being French or British. The greatest, compared with what???
king xixa
David Sedaris, Me Talk Pretty One Day
This is a pretty amazing book; I recommend it to you :-)
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/sawaboof
"...There is a crushing guilt that comes with being a Catholic. Whether things are good or bad or you're simply... eating tacos in the park, there is always the crushing guilt."
-30 Rock-
Well said.
We have to fight for it as citizens, not as imperialists. There's just no guarantee this democracy will be around in 50 years. If you'd like a damn motivating speech--something that will blow yer noggin'.... http://youtube.com/watch?v=MQFG4Piwegs
Sustainably yers, http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/green-underbelly
Best country EVER? I dunno, Canada looks pretty fine, so do many of the European countries.
"Every time I think about our founding fathers’ words...it brings a tear to my eyes"
That's interesting. Are we talking "Pursuit of Life, Liberty, Property", the U.S. Constitution? Or more of the Federalist Papers jargon?
Sustainably yers, http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/green-underbelly
Have you ever been to another country? I need to know that because it could completely alter my opinion of your blog. I would like to respond if you could just let me know where you have traveled. Thanks!
i have lived on every continent beside arctica. my point is, there are many counties out there that you visit as an American and you say.... waooooo. they respect each other, the law protects all, free or accessible health care for all. can you imagine in your own home only your dad, mum and older working brother can go to the hospital because they can afford health insurance?.
For example, the most progressive country in middle east is called qatar. you can practice your own religion, have a beer and go out. most people can not even point it on a map.The capital city,Doha, is as big as Chicago or Dallas. The most famous ... Saudi Arabia, is the most repressive in the region. women can drive, their testimony in court is worth 1/2 that of a man, and they can not practice law ,engineering. yet the Saudi prince is a regular at our state dinner.and this i am talking about 2008.
As one blogger said, with the rate that we are going, 50 years from now, i will be telling my grand kids that one time in America we had the right to bear arms, get an abortion, get a book from the library without uncle sam getting an email alert or not being tortured for a confession.
king xixa
I'm a little confused by which side you are on because that wasn't stated that clear.
But I was really asking Katie Marie, since she wrote the blog... and I am still waiting for an answer.