My cousin Lindsey returned earlier this summer from a 2-year jaunt in South Korea, where she worked as a teacher. She posted the following link on facebook:
http://postmasculine.com/america
The link leads to a blog article entitled "10 Things Most Americans Don't Know About America." Now, granted, it's an opinion based article--there are no footnotes referencing any actual data--but it is written by a person who is apparently well-traveled and has immersed himself in many different cultures. I took the time to read the article, mostly because of a recent discussion my cousin and I had regarding gun control, about which we strongly disagree. I was interested in finding out what there was about America that I didn't know as an American.
The answer? Not much.
As I read the article, I found myself nodding and realizing that much of what the author said made perfect sense. While I would have never been able to sit down and put everything he said to paper myself, I wasn't surprised by what had been written and realized that much of what he had said had been floating around in the back of my subconscious.
Which got me thinking about the word "patriotic." According to freeonlinedictionary.com, "patriotic" is defined as "Feeling, expressing, or inspired by love for one's country." I have always considered myself an extremely patriotic person. My favorite holiday is the 4th of July. I cheer relentlessly for the U.S. Olympic Team and I grew up in a household where the American Flag was publicly and proudly displayed.
However, I'm starting to think that maybe my sense of patriotism is a little displaced. What I love most about 4th of July is seeing those who have served in the military be acknowledged and honored, rather than the fireworks. My favorite part of an Olympian winning gold is hearing the National Anthem played, which I associate with freedom, which is gained primarily through our military. When I see the American Flag, I am reminded of all the men and women who have sacrificed their lives for the freedoms I currently have. I support the American military. But in this day and age, I'm starting to question just how much I support America.
I will not try to sound more intelligent than I am--I openly admit that in the past I have not taken a large interest in politics. I have in the past often been one of many suffering from what my husband calls a "sheep mentality" in which I spout off whatever the person next to me is saying. But I don't want to be that kind of person anymore. More and more I find myself trying to get to the heart of debates that rage across the internet, and I like to research my facts before I declare an opinion, because I do not want to be accused of following a crowd.
There are many things going on in this country right now that lead me to believe it is on a downward spiral, headed towards destruction, most likely internal, rather than external. Our economy sucks, but nobody wants to talk about that or what they plan to do about it. Minor issues such as gun control, abortion and gay rights flood the newspapers, political ads and internet while issues that affect everyone are left on the wayside. **And may I just say, before anyone jumps down my throat, yes, I understand that gun control, abortion and gay rights are not minor and are very important to a lot of people--I myself have specific thoughts about each one--but overturning Roe v. Wade or outlawing the carry and conceal laws are NOT what we need to be overly concerned about right now. We have bigger fish to fry.** No one can agree on what's best for health care--the only thing that isn't argued about is that it's too effing expensive.
I think one of the biggest issues we have right now is that our government has morphed into something it was never intended to be--and until it is changed, we will continue on in this downward spiral, getting nowhere. Now, as to how to change it? I'm not that smart. I think that the laws regarding term lengths in Congress need to be re-vamped, I think that members of Congress should be required to follow all the laws that they pass and force the average American to follow, I think the salaries of those in Congress and the White House are just as exorbitant as those of professional sports players--as to how to change any of that, though? No idea where to start.
But I don't believe that our government has the country's best interests at heart--and honestly, I don't give a flying you-know-what about whether or not you're Republican, Democrat or Barbie--nobody can say anymore what they stand for, only what they stand against. They can't use their ads to defend themselves, only to attack others. And personally, I don't think that's the best way to inspire confidence in those you plan to lead. And quite frankly, I think most politicians do that because deep down, they all know that they're all full of shit, saying whatever it's gonna take to get them elected and then doing whatever they wanted to in the first place.
The electoral vote process is crap. I live in Illinois. The majority of Illinois' electoral votes are in Chicago. Chicago is primarily Democratic. It doesn't matter how many people in the rest of the state vote Republican--Illinois is going to whatever Democrat is running for office. I still vote because I'm a firm believer in "If you don't vote, then you have no right to complain, so STFU" but do I feel like my vote counts for anything? Absolutely not. Not living where I am, anyway.
The point to all of this, I guess, is that I support our military and respect what it does. I respect those who choose a life of service so that I can be a stay-at-home mom and take care of my girls. I take pride in the fact that I'm an American because I've been raised here and have had a pretty decent life here. I've got it better than a lot of people, American and non, and I've been provided with a freedom to believe and speak as I so choose. But in this day and age, it is possible that my pride is placed more in an ideal, rather than reality.
I will never say that I hate America, because I don't. I love my country. But I'm not a big fan of what my country is doing and where it is headed. It is my prayer that things change before we become Rome and self-destruct due to our own sense of self-importance.
God bless America--because surely we need it.
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