"proud to be an American"

[smileyeagle1021]

OK, I know I'll catch flack for this... but I'm sick and tired of people who will chant "I'm proud to be an American" like it is some sort of mantra. This along with "America is number one", as if saying both will magically make it so.
I'm sorry, what exactly are you proud of?
Is it that in half the states discrimination against homosexuals in employment and housing is still legal?
Is it the fact that 35 million people have no health care?
Is it the fact that we score near the bottom of all industrialized nations for education?
Is it the fact that we have a 12 trillion dollar debt?
That our domestic air fleet uses some of the oldest planes in service?
That our road (and transit systems) are old and falling apart, over their capacity, and no one has the political will to say it's going to cost money to fix it?
That politicians on both sides of the aisle use the Constitution as toilet paper?
That we are passing laws based on a 2000 year old book with no backing on it beyond faith and warm fuzzy feelings?

I'm sorry, but I'm NOT proud to be an American, I'm downright ashamed of how we treat our sick, he we fail our children, and how an entire class of citizens is treated as second class citizens because of how they were born.
And I'm also sorry, but simply chanting over and over again "we're number one" isn't going to fix any of these problems.

[Hobbs]

I have it as my firm belief that you love freedom; whom amongst us does not? But you have this idea, set in stone, that resistance against the power structure you live under is the most noble pursuit. Such a person builds up a type of pious ideology; and turns away from his government, for ill or not. The United States Armed Forces will continue to defend the freedoms that make such thinking possible.

-Paraphrased from a quote by Admiral Henry Gloval.

PS: I'll post the quote when I get home and find it.

[protege]

Is it that in half the states discrimination against homosexuals in employment and housing is still legal?

I'll give you that one

Is it the fact that we have a 12 trillion dollar debt?

You can put that one solely on that idiot in the White House. Tell me again why failing companies should have been propped up with taxpayer funds?

That our domestic air fleet uses some of the oldest planes in service?

Uh, because new planes are expensive? If they're in good repair, why not?

That our road (and transit systems) are old and falling apart, over their capacity, and no one has the political will to say it's going to cost money to fix it?

In many areas, the responsibility for fixing the roads is up to local transit authorities. In PA, we have PennDOT to deal with. The problems arise when PennDOT either didn't design the road properly to begin with, or uses a substandard contractor to do the work.

[Ghel]

I, also, despise blind patriotism. I think that the USA is a great country, but I realize it's not perfect. The phrase I hear most often is "Love it or leave it," which really pisses me off. One of the (few) great things about our government is that there's a built-in process for change. Unfortunately, part of that process is done by committees, and we all know how bad that can be.

I guess what I'm getting at is, if there's something about the country that you don't like, write your congresspeople, write your state legislators, join politically active groups. Talk about what you want to change. (I realize that you're doing that here, but you've got a rather small audience.) Rally public opinion. Challenge people's views. Drag those small-minded people kicking and screaming into the 21st century.

[Greenday]

In many areas, the responsibility for fixing the roads is up to local transit authorities. In PA, we have PennDOT to deal with. The problems arise when PennDOT either didn't design the road properly to begin with, or uses a substandard contractor to do the work.

Speaking of PennDOT, those bastards need to do their job once in a while. I hit a pothole on a MAJOR highway so hard a clip snapped off on my dashboard and it won't stay completely on.

[Hobbs]

If you can't stand by your colors; you had better find yourself another flag.
-Unknown (Quoted in MW2)

[Cat]

While I am not completely "proud" of our gov't and most people here in the US of A, I am proud to be part of a lovely country. I have mountains, oceans, deserts, temperate zones, alpine zones, crazy ass weather.....and I can see it all without a passport.

So, I love the land, just not *most* of the people.

[Jason]

Is it the fact that 35 million people have no health care?.

The number is actually around 15 million that are chronically unisured.

[smileyeagle1021]

I'll give you that one

You can put that one solely on that idiot in the White House. Tell me again why failing companies should have been propped up with taxpayer funds?

Uh, because new planes are expensive? If they're in good repair, why not?

In many areas, the responsibility for fixing the roads is up to local transit authorities. In PA, we have PennDOT to deal with. The problems arise when PennDOT either didn't design the road properly to begin with, or uses a substandard contractor to do the work.

Can't blame it all on Mr. Obama... he can't act without Congressional approval, so it's both the White House and Capital Hill that shares the blame.

The good repair part is the issue... working in the hotel I heard countless flight crews complaining about how the planes were being maintained but that they were rapidly approaching the point where repair would no longer be an option... and right now no airline is prepared for when that happens (short of another government bail out).

I'll give you, those problems are usually problems with the state government, but when every state is having the problem, then it starts being a national problem.


Do I recognize that the country is better than a lot of the alternatives... yes, much better... that said, it most definitely is not something that is going to inspire me to patriotism.

Let's be honest, I don't see how any gay person can be a patriotic American when we have the Attorney General of Virginia telling state run colleges that they MUST discriminate, when 26 states have codified in their constitutions that gay people are second class citizens, where homophobia is condoned and in some places encouraged by government (as is the case of Virginia). Hell, I'm living in a state where a gay couple can first be beaten to within an inch of life and be charged with a crime while their attackers are let free without so much as "bad boy" Most property crimes are not reported because we know the police won't do a damn thing about it... after all we're just fags.
This country is the WORST country in the western first world for a homosexual to live... a guess straight people don't see it because they don't want to see it... they comfort themselves by saying "well at least we don't put them to death like some of the 2nd and third world countries do".

All I can do is do my best to live my life and pray to a non-existent God that I won't be affected by my fellow citizens bigotry.

[smileyeagle1021]

If you can't stand by your colors; you had better find yourself another flag.
-Unknown (Quoted in MW2)

Please, oh please God, allow me a different flag... give me Canada, give me Britain, hell, give me Spain... any of those places are more equality minded than the average American that I've met.

[Rapscallion]

I've got a spare room and the rent would be appreciated!

Rapscallion

[smileyeagle1021]

Sadly Raps, Britain et al won't grant me a permanent visa because I have no desirable skills (yet).

[draggar]

OK, I know I'll catch flack for this... but I'm sick and tired of people who will chant "I'm proud to be an American" like it is some sort of mantra. This along with "America is number one", as if saying both will magically make it so.
I'm sorry, what exactly are you proud of?
Is it that in half the states discrimination against homosexuals in employment and housing is still legal?
Is it the fact that 35 million people have no health care?
Is it the fact that we score near the bottom of all industrialized nations for education?
Is it the fact that we have a 12 trillion dollar debt?
That our domestic air fleet uses some of the oldest planes in service?
That our road (and transit systems) are old and falling apart, over their capacity, and no one has the political will to say it's going to cost money to fix it?
That politicians on both sides of the aisle use the Constitution as toilet paper?
That we are passing laws based on a 2000 year old book with no backing on it beyond faith and warm fuzzy feelings?

I'm sorry, but I'm NOT proud to be an American, I'm downright ashamed of how we treat our sick, he we fail our children, and how an entire class of citizens is treated as second class citizens because of how they were born.
And I'm also sorry, but simply chanting over and over again "we're number one" isn't going to fix any of these problems.

You should be proud to live in a country that allows you to make statements like this without fear of retaliation from the government.

You're posting on the world's largest bulltien board (the internet) some major gripes about your country. You have the right to do this.

Look what happened in Tiennamen's (sp?) square in China when students tried to hold a pro-democracy rally.

Look what happened last year in Iran with their election protests.

In many countries in the world you could be hunted down and executed for saying something like this.

Many nations have NO health care. They hunt down and execute homosexuals, they don't have air transit system and their roads are nothing more than dirt trails.

I'm not saying that the USA is perfect, far from it, but considering many of the other options out there, I'm proud to live here, even if it is by accident (birth).

[smileyeagle1021]

They hunt down and execute homosexuals

so basically, just thank god that I don't have to worry about government sanctioned killing, so shut up and accept legalized discrimination and being a second class citizen and having to worry about some fundamentalist having a bad day getting drunk, having a vision from his imaginary sky friend that it is his duty to kill a fag, come hunt me down then know as I'm dying that he won't be prosecuted because, after all, I'm just a fag.

You're right though, be grateful for whatever small miracles this nation may provide.

[McDreidel09]

While we Americans are lucky to have freedoms, if something isn't right, we also have the obligation, the duty, to change it.

What is wrong here, is that not everyone is receiving their rights, we are in a huge debt, and people are not getting taken care of. We have the duty to change that.

So yes, we can say "We are so lucky.", however, we can change things instead of just accepting them the way they are.