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What's all this nonsense about the "real America"? About small towns and small town people being somehow more real, more patriotic, more "pro-America"?
We're all Americans. Diversity is one of our country's greatest strengths. The mix of people with differing ideas and backgrounds.
And patriotism? It's about more than waving a flag and shouting "We're #1! The greatest country in the world!" It's about loving your country, about wanting it to be the best it can be. Part of that is recognizing the flaws and shortcomings. About finding what needs to be improved, so that we can make our country stronger and better.
And "pro-America"? Tell me, how many US citizens are anti-America? How many people want to trash and tear apart their home? How many people who run for office do so out of a need to tear down what they're helping to govern?
How about working with minorities? (Link 1, Link 2) How about protecting the rights of people with a different lifestyle, or at least not actively working to quash them? (Link 3) How about working for all Americans, wherever they come from, whatever they believe (or don't believe), wherever they live? While we're at it, how about protecting our world rather than selling it to short-term corporate interests? (Link 4) How about being truly patriotic and looking out for all of America... red, white, and blue?
We're all Americans. Diversity is one of our country's greatest strengths. The mix of people with differing ideas and backgrounds.
And patriotism? It's about more than waving a flag and shouting "We're #1! The greatest country in the world!" It's about loving your country, about wanting it to be the best it can be. Part of that is recognizing the flaws and shortcomings. About finding what needs to be improved, so that we can make our country stronger and better.
And "pro-America"? Tell me, how many US citizens are anti-America? How many people want to trash and tear apart their home? How many people who run for office do so out of a need to tear down what they're helping to govern?
How about working with minorities? (Link 1, Link 2) How about protecting the rights of people with a different lifestyle, or at least not actively working to quash them? (Link 3) How about working for all Americans, wherever they come from, whatever they believe (or don't believe), wherever they live? While we're at it, how about protecting our world rather than selling it to short-term corporate interests? (Link 4) How about being truly patriotic and looking out for all of America... red, white, and blue?
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BTW, not to be rude or unwelcoming or anything, but... who are you?
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So what drew you here? And what's the story behind your username? (Nothing to do with MIT, is it?)
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But I'm curious about why you friended me, and why I'm having trouble getting to know you. Am I going about it wrong? I'm not quite sure how to interpret reticence, particularly in someone I don't know.
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Makes sense, though. As good a reason as any. And thanks.
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It's not confined to America, you know. It's the same in India and Sri Lanka too. Apparently, only the xenophobic, isolationist, blue-collar, rural middle-class (who incidentally comprise of the majority of voters) are the REAL Sri Lankans/ Indians/ Chinese/ Martians. Also, "our culture" is something that must be preserved in an air-tight bottle, monitored closely by nationalist fundamentalists lest it become 'corrupted' by 'foreign ideas'. *headdesk*
The evils of conservative politics are universal. But it still makes me want to kick somebody everytime I hear it.
I will say, though, that the Brits seem to be more evolved. One of the Brits on my flist said that nobody in Britain would ever dare stand up and say a thing like "The United Kingdom is the greatest nation in the world!" with a straight face. =D Gotta love 'em.
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As for the Brits... they had their time. It's just that that time was a couple hundred years ago. ("The sun never sets on the British Empire," etc.) Nice to know they've learned, at least. Maybe in a couple hundred years, so will we.
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