A lot of people like to believe that America culture can change into a more constructive and intelligent populous. A lot of people like to believe that this country used to be humble and peaceful. Have we really changed as a culture? I don't think so. I think America has been this way from the beginning.
Let's look at what this country is doing now in terms of how this country was founded. I want to take a look at the first half of the Bill of Rights.
One of the biggest stereotypes of Americans is that we're a bunch of arrogant assholes. So it's really no surprise that the first amendment to our constitution is the freedom to say whatever the hell we want, regardless of how stupid it may be.
Sure, America seems like it has evolved into a belligerent culture. The inner cities are rife with gang violence. School shootings rock various schools in suburbia on almost a bimonthly basis. So is it really any surprise that the second amendment is the right to bear arms?
For the past 60 years, every president has had some sort of military conflict during their tenure in the White House. This isn't to say that America was peaceful before the second world war. You might like to believe that before WWII, there were only three wars (WWI, Civil War, and Revolutionary War), but people (history teachers) often leave out wars like the Spanish American War or the War of 1812. So naturally, our third amendment is the precedent for Kent State and the Battle of Los Angeles: the quartering of troops. Is it really any wonder that we're in a war?
It's taken a 30 or 40 years before the CIA release their secret files accumulated during the seventies called the "family jewels." We demand that inspectors go into foreign countries to sniff out nuclear weapons, but we don't even consider to have those same inspectors in our country. Does this hypocracy really come as any shock when our fourth amendment is protection from search and seizure?
Alberto Gonzales currently stands trial in congress regarding the firings of various attourneys, but he refuses to say anything. Naturally, the fifth amendment amounts to not owning up to your shit.
How can we say that America has gone down the toilet when our top five vices are the top five rights we're suffered in this country?
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Ah, that is so deliciously ironic.
A couple things I find interesting:
Toby Keith's "Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue" has the line, "We'll put a boot in your ass, it's the American way." The Dixie Chicks complained about this, claiming that it was "not very American." I don't know what country they're living in, but you don't get any more American than that.
My sister, who likes to wear makeup and clothing that would be considered "Gothic." She was once accused of being "un-patriotic" because of this. She then pointed out that she's rebelling, which is what this country was founded on, so she's more patriotic than the moron who accused her.
Rebelling like everyone else.
--Mike
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I wouldn't suggest telling her that, though. She's very violent when I don't agree with her.
Why else would people have advocated the rights unless they were for the immediate benifit of themselves? People are greedy, stupid, and just no good. And while we've advanced technologically, we are still like we were ages and ages ago. If pioneers would have had iPhones, their cell phone bills would be phenominal.
Nicholas Aden
Self-Promotion
We're just more blatantly assholish then when the founders founded this country. I don't think they thought we'd be as arrogant as we are.
America wants to be free so badly. Our country was based on the idea that big overpowering government (what the English were to us) was a bad and deadly thing. So our country was founded on the idea that people should be free to do whatever they really wanted. And if they did something wrong, they and everyone in the country had to know about it. So we can't be forced to do anything and once we do something wrong, everyone knows that we did something wrong. It's a beautiful system...really, I swear it is.
With freedom is given great responsibility. We aren't all ready for the responsibility our freedom gives us, but who am I to judge who deserves it or not? Who are any of us to deserve that right? I figure life will even itself out someday, until then, I wait and hope.
Don't mind me. I just added you to my buddylist because...well, you intrigue me. Not many people can accomplish that in their whole life. I like to keeps tabs and those who are genuinely interesting. So don't mind me, I'm just a shadow wandering in the dark.
"Even after all this time, the Sun never says to the Earth 'you owe me!' Look what happens with a love like that, it lights up the whole sky."
-Hafiz