He's at it Again!
These are my patriotic toes on 4th of July. Yep, people, if you haven't noticed, I'm pretty darn proud to be an American, as I think everyone should be of their own country. Otherwise, how can you do your best to make it even a better place than you left it?
It pisses me off that people aren't proud of their birthplace. Your country is not just your government, it's wars, it's immigration policy, or anything else you don't like. It's also the people, your family, the beauty of mountains, lakes, oceans, farm, cityscapes, and oceans. It's the history--both good and bad and how far we've come. It's, in the case of the United States, that pioneering spirit, that thinking outside the box, and that freedom of speech and religion. It's a place that leads in technology: Can you imagine a world we would have without electricity, the telephone, television, the computer, the airplane? What about in the last two decades? What would the world be like without Microsoft, Starbucks, IBM, Ipods, Amazon, Google, Boeing, and even YouTube?
America is a place where woman aren't circumcised, aren't covered unless they choose to be, are educated, and become leaders of the free world (although please, please let's not let that be Hillary). We choose who we marry. We choose if and when we have children. WE choose!
So stand proud as an American woman. I am and my feet show it.
3 Witty Comments For Me:
Good for you, sweetheart!
I'm not American of course but even I am sick of the anti-American ranting of the international left. And I AM a leftie, or I guess more of an ex-leftie, LOL.
For example, I have no idea what you think about Abu Ghraib, but, I am so heartily sick of the conspiracy theories. The inmates are there for a reason. Neither the American government nor the American military is grabbing random people off the street and expending the immense resources it takes to keep them there, just for the heck of it.
And these 'poignant' pictures released of the prisoners hugging their own little kids inside prison walls? Terrorists love their own children, everybody does. That doesn't mean they don't want to murder other people's innocent children though, because they do, and they did. The ringleader of the July 7 London bombings kissed his baby on the way out the door that morning, so his neighbours say. So what?
And were those inmates imprisoned in the countries they ACTUALLY COME FROM (the other option, people) they would be in far worse conditions than what they are in now. People are tortured, and I mean really tortured, in those countries.
People often tell me I must be stupid or uncaring because I hold these opinions. But I was raised on the left. These are my freely-formed opinions. I am not brainwashed, I think they are brainwashed, lol. I have come out of law school with a very high GPA whatever that is worth, and my IQ is, shall we say, fine. I'm not meaning to sound like an arrogant toad here, I wish I could comment privately, but my point is that I have been told upwards of a dozen times that I am "ignorant" and "stupid" for holding the opinions that I do.
By people who know less about the world than I do. Far, far less.
Gah.
In response to withdrawn comments: As former Army, my husband and I also have had friends die in the war and so many more put in harms way. My husband almost went back to active duty and there is always the question of me, since I have never received my final paperwork releasing me from my commission.
So, with possible potential risk to our family, I still think there is a very real reason we started this war and remain in the war. Even if it doesn’t turn out the way I like, at least we have gotten rid of some very bad people who would have hurt many more.
As for the Abu Ghraib conspiracies, I don’t even want to get started. What those soldiers did there was completely stupid, immature, and embarrassing. However, in their own country, torture and murder makes A.G. seem like Disneyland for the prisoners. I remember watching a news story of meat grinders used under Saddam’s regime. The latest conspiracy circling here is the US Government actually bombed the buildings because a plane “couldn’t” have made them collapse. What fucktards!!
Anyway, I would never imagine it okay for anyone to call someone stupid or uncaring. That drives me insane. Everyone has a right to their own opinion. That said, my sister-in-law, a lefty raised by moderates, two days after 9/11, asked me,” Don’t you think we brought it on ourselves? Don’t you think it’s our fault?” I could have kicked her in the head. No, sweetheart, the people that flew those planes into the World Trade Center --it’s their fault. They made a choice to kill over 3000 innocent men, women, and children.
I think that’s the US and British lefties have conveniently forgotten about 9/11 and 7/7. They’ve also forgotten about all the circulating blogs, emails, and petitions to help the women of Afghanistan before the war.
What bothers me the most is the sentiment that we should be embarrassed of our country, feel humiliated, and never respect our flag. The sentiment that patriotism is a negative quality- is one I won’t stand for—even if one doesn’t agree with the direction of your government (I hated the Clinton years which I think let the terrorists get out of hand in the first place), there is still room to have pride.
Whether you are from England, Australia, Canada, or any other country that has helped in the war effort, whatever your opinion of the war, I don't think there is anything of which to be ashamed.
In order to stand proud I need your shoes. They are very cool. Please send them to me here in France.
But seriously, I think if we zoom out into a bigger picture, we humans of the world are in the midst of a pendulum swing that involves extremism and violence and reactions to extremism and violence. As we learn about the consequences of different strategies and actions and shift our thinking, the pendulum begins to swing, hopefully towards strategies and actions that involve cooperation, discourse, inclusion, etc. This may not happen in our lifetime but the law of physics says the pendulum will eventually swing there. I am hopeful. From this expanded viewpoint, nobody is embarrassed about their country nor are they necessarily proud or not proud of their flag, etc. We all screw up, as individuals, as companies, as world leaders, as religions, as countries.
As a matter of fact, sometimes I forget these very things as I rant and rave and vent and give up and then start all over again on my political blog. So don't go there. It's not very nice lately. I will work on improving it however.
That's my 8.6 cents. Now, please send shoes.
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