Quote:
Originally posted by Conskeeted7
Getting back to the point of a lack of pride...what is it exactly about the United States that makes it worthy of living in, but not worthy of pride?
Now keep in mind that pride does not mean that you love EVERY aspect of what the US has to offer.
Pride means that you have a sense of dignity, value or esteem. So, when you say that you do not have a sense of pride for your country, you are making a strong statement.
So, if it is so difficult to be proud of your US heritage, why not find a more suitable country to call home?
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Let's see. You know how people live in the projects, right? There are people who like it there and people who want to move. If you live in the projects, should you be proud that you live there? Do you ignore the circumstances of how you ended up in the projects in the first place? What is it exactly about the projects that makes them worthy of living in, but not worthy of pride? Do you see what I'm saying?
I believe in the IDEALs of America. I do not believe that we are living up to those ideals. Yes, I am making a strong statement. My value system differs greatly from the value system of most Americans. I don't care to be rich. I don't care if my children have more wealth than me. I don't care about what type of car I drive. I don't care about what name is on the tag of my clothes. I don't care about CAPITAL. I care about justice. I care about love. I value integrity. I value education. I care about equality. I value freedom. My value system is different. Is it so bad to want this country and its citizens to live up to its ideals? Dignity? What dignity? How many people have died for a war that is based on a LIE? Where is the dignity and honor in that???
When you travelled abroad, where did you go? Another first-world country? Did you have to explain racism? Did you have to explain why, with all of its wealth, there are still homeless people here? Did you have to explain why we have people monitor other countries' elections, but no one to watch our own? Did you have to explain why the American people didn't fight the government after the 2000 election? Did you have to explain why our foreign aid is less than one half of one percent of our national budget? How did you explain that a country (that started a war to supposedly help the people of that country) only spends about .03% of its budget helping people in other countries? Did you have anyone make jokes about your police system? Did you sit and watch BBC with the citizens of the country that you visited and talk about world issues with them? Did you compare crime rates? What about drugs and alcohol: are they a huge problem? If so, how did you feel during the conversations? Were you proud AT THE EXACT MOMENT that you were having these conversations?
Why is it ok to be embarrassed by black folks? You CRINGE when black folks act a fool on the news or anywhere else in public. You are proud to be black, but the moment one of your people gets on TV and cuts the fool, you are embarrassed all of a sudden. What is the difference between that and my embarrassment of America right now? Did anyone miss that part of my original post? The "right now" part? Or did everyone assume that I have always been and always will be embarrassed to be an American?
Who said that I WASN'T looking for a more suitable country to call home? You can do a search and see that we have already discussed the fact that I may be posting to this site from Africa one day. Or who knows where else. That's no secret. But even if I wasn't, so what? Just like being proud doesn't mean that you love EVERY aspect of the country, a lack of pride doesn't mean that you hate EVERY aspect. I like the fact that I can be free to say what I want. But when what I say goes against the grain, it's not so cool anymore, is it? But if I want to critique this country that, by birth, is my right. And I don't have to leave if I don't want to. That, too, is my right.
Trust me when I say, the way you feel about me having no pride in America RIGHT NOW is the exact same way I feel about you being so proud. It reminds me that not all of the slaves wanted to be freed.
It is clear to me that those who are patriotic will remain that way, and those that aren't will remain that way. Soooooooooo, we can agree to disagree.