(08-22-2021, 09:28 AM)The Real Marty Wrote: So, if you all will indulge me, and stop the food fight for a few posts, I have an honest question with no hidden agenda.  And here it is:

What exactly do you mean if you say you are "proud to be an American?" 

I love this country.  I'm damn glad I was born here and live here.  I wouldn't live anywhere else.  Taken as a whole, it's the best place on earth.  But I wouldn't use the word "proud" because I didn't have anything to do with it.  I wasn't born here on purpose.  I'm not one of the founding fathers.  They're the ones that should be proud.  So should all the people who died defending this country.  They should be proud. 

I'm proud of my own accomplishments, in a way.  But I didn't cause myself to be born in the United States.  That was just luck. 

So what does it mean to you when you say you are "proud to be an American?"

I think everyone who has contributed positively to this country should be "proud" because they are what makes this country great. Whether they are scientists who advance medicine or our military who defend against all enemies both foreign and domestic; first responders or taxi drivers, etc. There is no One Thing that makes this country great so to say only certain people should be considered proud isn't seeing the big picture. It's all of the people who make a positive difference, and we all do to a degree, no matter how big or small. 

You're right in that we didn't ask to be born here and every single one of us is lucky to have been. That gives us a responsibility- actually it's a privilege we have that we can contribute to this country. It's a shame we have become a society that sees nearly everything through a political lens. That corrupts a lot of issues and makes it not so easy to see things clearly.

---