American Pride

[Goat Whisperer]

It's true Tangerine, lol but they will come back and say "Well they are GOING to trample on them, or they HAVE trampled on them--we just can't notice the effects yet..."

 

[Lord Stanley]

pride and gratitude are different things

i have lived in some countries were I was exposed to poverty, disease, corruption

as such i am eternally grateful that i live in Canada, i would also be grateful if i lived stateside, there are plenty worse place to live

 

[Goat Whisperer]

Well a good example is school.

A football player has school pride, becuase he has worked hard to win football games and make his school look good. So he wants to be proud about it.

Or a football fan, a student that went to everyone game, they have school pride because they support the football players so much, that they are proud of them, their team, and the work they do.

Now switch out the school with America, the football team with the army, the football player with a soldier, and the fan with a patriotic citizen.

See where I am coming from yet

There is also the kids that just go to school and don't really participate in any extra-curricular activities at all. Sure they are happy to go to that school, becuase it is a nice school, but they aren't really proud of it...

 

[MoonOwl]

For me personally, my life is fine. I have all my necessary papers, all my necessary numbers, my taxes are paid and thank the Gods above I do not share a name w/a person on the terrorist watch list so flying is a relative breeze for me. I'll try not to be embarrassed as I get my body scanned well enough to see me nekid. After all, it keeps us all safe. It's not an invasion of privacy. It's security!!! Drink that breast milk! It might have explosives in it!

If you don't view The Patriot Act or the Military Commissions Act or the end to Habeas Corpus or possible Preventative Detentions as going against our founding documents then I aint got much to say. wtf do I know.... Not much apparently.:cool

 

[kelvin070]

You break the law you had it. You cry unconstitutional they find a way out. Happens in every country.

 

[Goat Whisperer]

I don't like it how they use fear to make us give up our freedoms.'Iif you don't let us take away your right to privacy, a terrorist could explode your town....'

 

[Minor Axis]

Why is it that when someone questions their countries activities it's automatically a distaste for ones country to those patriotic?

Because when you are attacked in the circumstance you describe, those who are attacking you are not necessarily patriotic, but partisan and using the "patriotic" or "non-patriotic" label as a means of pushing their agenda or party. All those ribbons on cars for the troops, IMO for a substantial percentage of the populace were/are a round about way of saying, support this War, as if it was a good thing, when it was nothing of the sort.

 

[Tangerine]

For me personally, my life is fine. I have all my necessary papers, all my necessary numbers, my taxes are paid and thank the Gods above I do not share a name w/a person on the terrorist watch list so flying is a relative breeze for me. I'll try not to be embarrassed as I get my body scanned well enough to see me nekid. After all, it keeps us all safe. It's not an invasion of privacy. It's security!!! Drink that breast milk! It might have explosives in it!

If you don't view The Patriot Act or the Military Commissions Act or the end to Habeas Corpus or possible Preventative Detentions as going against our founding documents then I aint got much to say. wtf do I know.... Not much apparently.:cool

So the best you can come up with for how the Constitution is being ignored is that it takes an extra 10 minutes to get on an airplane?

:clap

 

[JanieDough]

That's a total cop out. Every generation has had their faith in government shaken for one reason or another.....
And on the whole, there is no doubt in my mind that the majority of the time, our country does the right thing. It's motives and it's methods may be questionable through the prism of 20/20 hindsight, but that doesn't detract from my pride in this country.

It isn't a cop-out. It is how I feel! And I am sure many people in my generation feel a slight mistrust in their government because of it.

And good for you for believing that your country does the right thing the majority of the time - I do not have that same faith.


The more this thread goes on the more I see that I was kind of right in my original thoughts on Saturday - that most of the people who were celebrating the fourth of July had no good reason in their head for being proud to be an American.

Not proud to be free, but to be an American specifically.

 

[dt3]

The more this thread goes on the more I see that I was kind of right in my original thoughts on Saturday - that most of the people who were celebrating the fourth of July had no good reason in their head for being proud to be an American.

Not proud to be free, but to be an American specifically.

Well, I'm not one of them. But patriotism is different for everybody, me telling you why I feel that way wouldn't make you feel the same.

 

[ssl]

It isn't a cop-out. It is how I feel! And I am sure many people in my generation feel a slight mistrust in their government because of it.

And good for you for believing that your country does the right thing the majority of the time - I do not have that same faith.


The more this thread goes on the more I see that I was kind of right in my original thoughts on Saturday - that most of the people who were celebrating the fourth of July had no good reason in their head for being proud to be an American.

Not proud to be free, but to be an American specifically.

I slightly agree, but I see the responses are a little skewed, at least in definition of "pride".

the quality or state of being proud: as a: inordinate self-esteem : conceit b: a reasonable or justifiable self-respect c: delight or elation arising from some act, possession, or relationship

See, I think these people are confusing 'gratefulness' with 'pride'.

Which is why I am grateful to be an American. Not proud to be an American, as I have not done anything to deserve my citizenship, being born on USA soil (New Jersey). It was given to me, and I am grateful for such citizenship.

 

[JanieDough]

Well, I'm not one of them. But patriotism is different for everybody, me telling you why I feel that way wouldn't make you feel the same.

No but it might spark some inspiration or pride inside me.

So far no one has really said anything that touches my pride or makes me say "oh yeah, America is special because of that."

 

[ssl]

No but it might spark some inspiration or pride inside me.

So far no one has really said anything that touches my pride or makes me say "oh yeah, America is special because of that."

America is not special. It is a country, bound by a few pieces of paper.

It's the people that matter. Be *grateful* to be among those people. *Not* prideful. :nod:

 

[JanieDough]

America is not special. It is a country, bound by a few pieces of paper.

It's the people that matter. Be *grateful* to be among those people. *Not* prideful. :nod:

what if I am neither

 

[ssl]

what if I am neither

You are not grateful to be a citizen or legal resident of the United States?

Just because I do not care for nearly every *leader* of the United States, I am grateful to be allowed to have my own opinion of said leaders, as well as the ability to still live here.

I am not allowed to have pride of my country, because I have not done anything directly for my country, yet. Even when or if I do accomplish something for my country, I will still consider it a privilege to live in the United States, not a right; I will not take pride in such things either, as such pride brought this country down.

I would not worry about feeling pride for this country, ever. Gratefulness, however... (MY OPINION) If you cannot develop such a sense or feeling of gratitude, then I would seriously suggest leaving.

And that is my opinion. Blunt, yes. I cannot 'soften' it up. Sorry.

 

[Accountable]

It's a shame the question got posted in sincerety, but there it is.

Don't look to the government to be proud of your roots and heritage, look to your fellow citizens. We are the most generous nation on earth. In contrast to all the handwringing and whinging, no people give more to help the poor and needy than the United States citizen. I'm often apalled when the Brits in another forum I frequent say it's shameful that our needy have to turn to charities rather than government to get what they need, but remember that charities survive on donations given voluntarily with love, not exacted from the citizenry under threat of prison. When Hurricane Katrina hit, government got in the way and fucked things up on the macro level, but The People were there for each other. Despite the efforts of our latest generation, at our core we still believe in the power of individual effort and imagination - freedom to succeed, freedom to fail, compassion to help the fallen until they can stand on their own.

God Blessed America

 

[Minor Axis]

It's a shame the question got posted in sincerety, but there it is.

Don't look to the government to be proud of your roots and heritage, look to your fellow citizens. We are the most generous nation on earth. In contrast to all the handwringing and whinging, no people give more to help the poor and needy than the United States citizen. I'm often apalled when the Brits in another forum I frequent say it's shameful that our needy have to turn to charities rather than government to get what they need, but remember that charities survive on donations given voluntarily with love, not exacted from the citizenry under threat of prison. When Hurricane Katrina hit, government got in the way and fucked things up on the macro level, but The People were there for each other. Despite the efforts of our latest generation, at our core we still believe in the power of individual effort and imagination - freedom to succeed, freedom to fail, compassion to help the fallen until they can stand on their own.

God Blessed America

Just because individuals gives some convenient level of income to charity "out of love" really is besides the point when it comes to society and how we deal with each other. Somehow, I'm not surprised that you would characterize all government social programs as coercion programs based on threat of prison. Very conservative of you.

BTW, no matter how good or privileged we think we are, God does not bless countries. Not said to be inflammatory, just realistic. We had the right group of people, stake out the right piece of land, (abusing the locals in the process), and under the right circumstances, became a wealthy nation, until...(fill in the blank). Now if your using it as just a "feel good" cliche, then ok.

Not to imply there are no worthy individuals, but frankly if there is a God who uses Bible standards, I wonder how proud he is of the human race as a whole? You know despite all of our species short comings, maybe just maybe today we are much improved over our ancestors?? And maybe we are evolving in a good direction... :humm:

 

[Accountable]

Just because individuals gives some convenient level of income to charity "out of love" really is besides the point when it comes to society and how we deal with each other. Somehow, I'm not surprised that you would characterize all government social programs as coercion programs based on threat of prison. Very conservative of you.

It's the taxes, not the programs, genius.

 

[Goat Whisperer]

I'm grateful to live here, and I am proud of what my country has accomplished.

Is that so bad? Am I not allowed to be proud to say "I'm an American" because I am, sorry.

 

[Minor Axis]

It's the taxes, not the programs, genius.

You think you have to point out to me that to conservatives it's all about TAXES? I know, I know, believe me I know, LOL. And yes, I know taxes are B-A-D, rational conservatives just don't expect taxes to be about anything involving "giving" to anyone. By God, let them stand on their own two feet!

Seriously, a thousand people all have different ideas about what program is worthy to be paid for by tax payers, so... we elect people to be in charge and make those decisions for us. And it's a known fact that liberals have a proven track record of generosity (maybe at time misplaced) as compared to miserly "we can't afford it" conservatives. For claiming to be righteous, conservatives have a God-awful track record when it comes to following the path of Jesus.

The amusing thing about the current Universal health plan debate is that this program would help a heck of a of everyday people who are only one serious illness away from bankruptcy, but the Republican party wants no part of it.