patriotism

it isn’t something i typically have a lot of…or at least it isn’t something i broadcast. i don’t appreciate our flag and pledge used as weapons to silence a dissenting opinion or to “prove” some point. istead, i feel that in most cases my patriotism is expressed in my big mouth complaining about what the ails my nation. after all…that is part of what makes our country grand.

that said…i like to praise us too…

it goes both ways in my world, and just like i won’t let us, as a nation, pretend we  can do no wrong, i don’t believe we should be the poster child responsible for ALL the world’s ills. you wanna talk fuel consumption, waste, pollution or war mongering…i’m on board to talk about how we’re in the wrong.

but i don’t accept the idea that we are responsible for all violence or crimes of conscience the world over, especially when you consider rape, pillaging and murder predated our inception a mere 200 + years ago.

for all our faults, there is still a lot of beauty. america is the home of my family – as far back as i can track it and that is delightful to me. the south is home of folks who will give you a smile and a “hello sweetie”, not in a condescending way but in a familial way. in the norheast you can find every country of the world represented and the food to match, to the west is some of the most progressive and/or cutting edge thinking our country has to offer us.

it comes up because my boyfriend…from here on referred to as S…and i got into a friendly ribbing of each other’s countries. actually it started with him talking – not rudely but not favorably – about the states. he sounded surprised when i chimed in with praise for my home country (as much as i have a home country).

but in all things moderation…critiscism and praise…even for america.