Are you proud of being an american?

[Hellfish]

I'm a New Zealander so I'm blessed with living in one of the best countries in the world, I feel like America while it has lots of downsides is still way better off them other places. However in saying that I wouldn't be too proud to be an American (But that's cause I'm much better off as a kiwi ^-^ )

 

[Soot Sprite]

I wouldn't go as far as saying I'm proud to be American but for the most part I like living where I do. In my opinion America has a lot of problems but I also know I have better rights here compared to a lot of other places I could be living.

 

[Primarina]

I am absolutely proud to be an American. The thing that makes America different from any other nation the world has ever known is that we are a country founded on ideas, on the sharing of a common credo, not on a common history or genetic lineage. That is what makes us exceptional. That is why people have fought and died for this country for generations, not because they shared a common ethnic background or religion, but because they believed in a shared idea of freedom, of a democratic republic, of certain inalienable rights including freedom of speech (which no other country has so centrally enshrined as we have, not the UK, not Australia, not New Zealand, not Canada, no one). That is also why people of every color and creed have sought to come to this country for over two hundred years, because they wanted to start over somewhere where they could have some measure of freedom. Is America perfect? No, of course not, but our country's sins are not unique in their substance or scope, and there are many many nations throughout history guilty of so much worse.

 

[piichinu]

no?? and i wouldnt be proud of being any other nationality either? ppl who are proud of or ashamed by their nationality are just idiots 90% of the time

i meman like im grateful to be here its a great country and i really hate seeing ppl complain and cry about it because other people have it so much worse

 

[jcamac45]

I am embarrassed of being American. Its history is full of racism, discrimination and massacres of the innocent. I used to think racism was a problem of the past century... but with current president winning the elections, how can you not be ashamed of being an American?
I agree with what other posts have said about nationalism being really dangerous. We have seen its results at its worst in WW2.

I disagree entirely with posts mentioning that they get bothered by people "crying" about "issues in America, when other countries have it worst." I don't mean to be disrespectful to these people... but if you really think that these are "snowflakes" complaining about nothing, that only demonstrates the level of privilege under which you are living in this country. Many people don’t have that ability (I call it privilege) to ignore these issues, because they worry that the color of their skin could mean dying in police custody after being pulled over for a routine traffic violation, or being killed for walking down the street wearing a hoodie, or being massacred by a white man in their house of worship, or being deported for being "illegal" even though, in history, the US took their lands by force.

Sure, you might say other countries have it worse and that is why many people are escaping from their countries and even risking their lives in hopes of finding a "better life" in the US. But they come to this land only to realize that they will suffer from discrimination. By the way, our current politicians don't want to accept refugees from countries they have been bombing the heck out of. So yeah, many people moving to the US have, in some way, being forced to move to the US thanks to the US always trying to involve itself into other countries' matters. We are "better" than these other countries... but that does not mean we are in a good social shape, and that is why we need to be more outspoken about these issues and not simply shut it.

 

[-Apples-]

Do you want to know something interesting about the United States?

We are actually ahead of the rest of the world in terms of science and technology. We invented air conditioners, the assembly line, TVs, radios, and phones. It's also where the internet started, where internet services like Facebook and YouTube were launched, and where iPhones come from. Not only that, but we were the first country to land a man on the moon and even sent a spacecraft beyond the solar system.

At the same time, we are behind the rest of the world on social progresses, mostly because we were motivated by religion, stronger justice system, and free economics. And we take the constitution more seriously. We can't catch up with the rest of the world as long as we stick to the constution as if it were a static document, but technologically, we come first.

 

[piichinu]

I am embarrassed of being American. Its history is full of racism, discrimination and massacres of the innocent. I used to think racism was a problem of the past century... but with current president winning the elections, how can you not be ashamed of being an American?
I agree with what other posts have said about nationalism being really dangerous. We have seen its results at its worst in WW2.

I disagree entirely with posts mentioning that they get bothered by people "crying" about "issues in America, when other countries have it worst." I don't mean to be disrespectful to these people... but if you really think that these are "snowflakes" complaining about nothing, that only demonstrates the level of privilege under which you are living in this country. Many people don’t have that ability (I call it privilege) to ignore these issues, because they worry that the color of their skin could mean dying in police custody after being pulled over for a routine traffic violation, or being killed for walking down the street wearing a hoodie, or being massacred by a white man in their house of worship, or being deported for being "illegal" even though, in history, the US took their lands by force.

Sure, you might say other countries have it worse and that is why many people are escaping from their countries and even risking their lives in hopes of finding a "better life" in the US. But they come to this land only to realize that they will suffer from discrimination. By the way, our current politicians don't want to accept refugees from countries they have been bombing the heck out of. So yeah, many people moving to the US have, in some way, being forced to move to the US thanks to the US always trying to involve itself into other countries' matters. We are "better" than these other countries... but that does not mean we are in a good social shape, and that is why we need to be more outspoken about these issues and not simply shut it.

i appreciate the two paragraphs u wrote in response to me, but u misunderstand the key words "cry" and "complain" are in reference to those that are always talking about how they want to move to Canada and making memes and whatever

crying and complaining and not really trying don't solve anything and aren't real activism which is what people should be doing

 

[jcamac45]

i appreciate the two paragraphs u wrote in response to me, but u misunderstand the key words "cry" and "complain" are in reference to those that are always talking about how they want to move to Canada and making memes and whatever

crying and complaining and not really trying don't solve anything and aren't real activism which is what people should be doing

It was not targeted at you specifically. I read a couple of other posts where they were expressing their opinion in the context I mentioned. But you are right, I misinterpreted your comment. And agree! Political activism is the way we've being able to bring progressive changes to this country.

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Do you want to know something interesting about the United States?

We are actually ahead of the rest of the world in terms of science and technology. We invented air conditioners, the assembly line, TVs, radios, and phones. It's also where the internet started, where internet services like Facebook and YouTube were launched, and where iPhones come from. Not only that, but we were the first country to land a man on the moon and even sent a spacecraft beyond the solar system.

At the same time, we are behind the rest of the world on social progresses, mostly because we were motivated by religion, stronger justice system, and free economics. And we take the constitution more seriously. We can't catch up with the rest of the world as long as we stick to the constution as if it were a static document, but technologically, we come first.

Actually not for too long. Have you seen the budget plan our current president has proposed? He has made some really deep cuts on agencies dedicated for scientific research (agencies like EPA, NIH...). If the budget plan gets passed by congress... China and even Russia will be above us. Actually China is a great place for scientific research now, thanks to our president's propositions. I tell you this, because that is really what's happening right now.

 

[Bones]

Not even remotely. And I'm technically German-American, so I often try to pretend that part of my identity doesn't even exist.

Really, the only time I'd ever be "glad" to be American is when it's time to vote. I'm stuck living here, so it's nice to have some say-so in what goes on in my state/country, no matter how small it may be.

 

[Primarina]

It's really sad to me how many people in my generation don't even understand what makes America unique and don't think America is a decent country, let alone a great one. I wonder why people like that who obviously hate America so much don't just renounce their citizenship and/or move to a country they think is better, and I'd love to know what country they think that might be.

 

[easpa]

Not American, but I've never really managed to wrap my head around the concept of nationalism. I like living in Ireland, but I don't feel any exceptional amount of pride in the country; it's just where I happened to be born and where I happen to live.

 

[-Apples-]

Actually not for too long. Have you seen the budget plan our current president has proposed? He has made some really deep cuts on agencies dedicated for scientific research (agencies like EPA, NIH...). If the budget plan gets passed by congress... China and even Russia will be above us. Actually China is a great place for scientific research now, thanks to our president's propositions. I tell you this, because that is really what's happening right now.

But we're still behind the rest of the world on the social progresses.

- The United States has the second highest incarceration rate in the world, only behind North Korea (but that's because North Korea is a totalitarian state). However, America has such an unusually high incarceration rate mostly because of our ban on drugs most of the nation (more typically marijuana and cocaine). Even non-violent addicts are condemned. We also have a high drinking age, stricter laws against underage drinking, and the strictest laws against texting and driving. Another possible reason why we have the highest incarceration rate out of all non-totalitarian nations is because of our crime rates. Pretty much the larger cities like Chicago, Oakland, Baltimore, and Philadelphia are filled with these high rates.
- Even if the execution rate has been lower recently, we still have a death penalty structure here.
- Education is a lot worse here while in the rest of the developed world, it's great. In states like Louisiana and Mississippi, you can see how important public funding is when it comes to education. They don't put too much funding into it, which is why their education is terrible. But in states like California, you can see how labor unions on education is failing. California is one of the worst states when it comes to education, yet teachers there are the highest paid in the nation. Texas has the highest high school dropout rates in America. I'll explain why later.
- We are behind on healthcare too. A huge chunk of Americans can't even tolerate what we called Obamacare, yet all the other countries in the western world have a must tougher socialized medicine program. And they have easier access to healthcare than we do with universal healthcare.
- Much of the developed world has banned guns entirely, and they are happy about it. In the United States, you can still own a gun, even where gun control laws are at the strictest. And we won't be following the rest of the world anytime soon because we take the 2nd Amendment more seriously.
- Because of how large of a role religion plays here, we are still debating on issues like abortion and same-sex marriage, which has now expanded to religious for-profit businesses and companies fighting for the rights to opt out of same-sex weddings and proving birth control. The devolped world has went beyond that point, as religion is fading there.
- And the rest of the developed world has already got large populations speaking many different languages. In the United States, we couldn't even tolerate people that don't speak English to live here.

Am I proud at how we're behind the rest on the world at this? No, cause this is shameful, but I'm really anti-liberal as I oppose all of their views on political issues (except for the same-sex marriage issue, where I'm for legalization). But I am patriotic and would still live here, even if we're still behind the rest of the world on the social issues.

 

[redpqndq]

It's really sad to me how many people in my generation don't even understand what makes America unique and don't think America is a decent country, let alone a great one. I wonder why people like that who obviously hate America so much don't just renounce their citizenship and/or move to a country they think is better, and I'd love to know what country they think that might be.

I'd move if I could afford it.

 

[EpicGamer12]

I am embarrassed of being American. Its history is full of racism, discrimination and massacres of the innocent. I used to think racism was a problem of the past century... but with current president winning the elections, how can you not be ashamed of being an American?
I agree with what other posts have said about nationalism being really dangerous. We have seen its results at its worst in WW2.

I disagree entirely with posts mentioning that they get bothered by people "crying" about "issues in America, when other countries have it worst." I don't mean to be disrespectful to these people... but if you really think that these are "snowflakes" complaining about nothing, that only demonstrates the level of privilege under which you are living in this country. Many people don?t have that ability (I call it privilege) to ignore these issues, because they worry that the color of their skin could mean dying in police custody after being pulled over for a routine traffic violation, or being killed for walking down the street wearing a hoodie, or being massacred by a white man in their house of worship, or being deported for being "illegal" even though, in history, the US took their lands by force.

Sure, you might say other countries have it worse and that is why many people are escaping from their countries and even risking their lives in hopes of finding a "better life" in the US. But they come to this land only to realize that they will suffer from discrimination. By the way, our current politicians don't want to accept refugees from countries they have been bombing the heck out of. So yeah, many people moving to the US have, in some way, being forced to move to the US thanks to the US always trying to involve itself into other countries' matters. We are "better" than these other countries... but that does not mean we are in a good social shape, and that is why we need to be more outspoken about these issues and not simply shut it.

haha welcum 2 human race kiddo

 

[Zura]

Definitely, America is and will always be the greatest country in the world! Now that we have President Trump in office, the country is only gonna get better

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It's really sad to me how many people in my generation don't even understand what makes America unique and don't think America is a decent country, let alone a great one. I wonder why people like that who obviously hate America so much don't just renounce their citizenship and/or move to a country they think is better, and I'd love to know what country they think that might be.

Exactly, well said.

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haha welcum 2 human race kiddo

Sad but true, people try to pin racism and slavery on America alone, but fail to realize it was something that happened everywhere. People who use those kind of excuses for hatting America really need to take some history lessons.

 

[-Apples-]

Definitely, America is and will always be the greatest country in the world! Now that we have President Trump in office, the country is only gonna get better

I'm actually disappointed with Trump. I wanted someone other than Hillary to get in and some who can actually repeal Obamacare, overturn Roe v Wade, and suppress political correctness, but some of the stuff he's doing while in office is something you shouldn't be doing in any position of power. Here's what I don't like about him.

1. He's a bully - his habit of saying mean things like he said during the election has continued on in his presidency. He's making all these tweetstorms full of very mean or rude stuff. He was disrespecting former presidents (like his rude comments towards Obama and the wiretapping thing), companies that did something he didn't like (such as when Nordstrom or Macy's cancelled the Ivanka brand), and other celebrities (like Arnold Schwarzenegger when he replaced him in a role he used to be in). I would rather vote a bully in instead of a traitor like Hillary Clinton, but even I would never support a bully.

2. He's constantly bringing up past drama - you see, the 2016 Election is over, long over actually, but he's still complaining about the aftermath, even if he won. He was complaining about how people think that Russia had ties with the election, calling stuff "fake news" when polls and stuff don't go in favor for him, and talking about past controversies that have no meaning today. If I were a moderator on this forum, would I write blog entries gossipping about other members on this site or complain about how people treated me? Would I write blog entries complaining about past times when people didn't think I would be a good moderator or when people think I'm a racist (I'm really not, actually)? The answer to both questions is no. If I have a problem with another member on the site right now, I try to talk to them about what's wrong or go to the Contact the Staff board, not publicly solicit their offenses (even without naming). Trump somehow couldn't do this, even as president.

3. Some of his policies are a bit extreme - talk about the refugee ban and his deportation raids, there's something he's doing that's going too far on. I wouldn't even support that beyond the extent I can handle.

Sad but true, people try to pin racism and slavery on America alone, but fail to realize it was something that happened everywhere. People who use those kind of excuses for hatting America really need to take some history lessons.

And I agree here. We may had a history of racism, poor treatment to everyone below the urban elites, and other stuff you wouldn't want to be reminded of, but all countries had something like that before. Germany had Hitler, the British were mean to Indians when India was under their control, France had Napoleon, Italy had Mussolini, and Spain was where the Spanish Inquisition took place in. I can't name all 210 countries and what they had done wrong in the past, but past activity does not matter in present times.

 

[jcamac45]

Definitely, America is and will always be the greatest country in the world! Now that we have President Trump in office, the country is only gonna get better

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Exactly, well said.

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Sad but true, people try to pin racism and slavery on America alone, but fail to realize it was something that happened everywhere. People who use those kind of excuses for hatting America really need to take some history lessons.

Haha you probably say that because you have the privilege of not being the minority.
You don't get to live in America under constant fear of losing your dear ones. And I would move to another place... but unfortunately I was not born privileged to just move to another country like China. I am seriously considering moving to China, since the money for scientific research is where is at. BTW, I am a researcher.

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Definitely, America is and will always be the greatest country in the world! Now that we have President Trump in office, the country is only gonna get better

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So basically what you are trying to say is that because there is racism everywhere else in the world... it is ok for the US to be racist?
I don't think that is what makes a country great....


Exactly, well said.

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Sad but true, people try to pin racism and slavery on America alone, but fail to realize it was something that happened everywhere. People who use those kind of excuses for hatting America really need to take some history lessons.

Haha you probably say that because you have the privilege of not being the minority.
You don't get to live in America under constant fear of losing your dear ones. And I would move to another place... but unfortunately I was not born privileged to just move to another country like China. I am seriously considering moving to China, since the money for scientific research is where is at. BTW, I am a researcher.

 

[Licorice]

It's not something I worked for so I can't be proud of it. I was born here.

 

[jcamac45]

But we're still behind the rest of the world on the social progresses.

- The United States has the second highest incarceration rate in the world, only behind North Korea (but that's because North Korea is a totalitarian state). However, America has such an unusually high incarceration rate mostly because of our ban on drugs most of the nation (more typically marijuana and cocaine). Even non-violent addicts are condemned. We also have a high drinking age, stricter laws against underage drinking, and the strictest laws against texting and driving. Another possible reason why we have the highest incarceration rate out of all non-totalitarian nations is because of our crime rates. Pretty much the larger cities like Chicago, Oakland, Baltimore, and Philadelphia are filled with these high rates.
- Even if the execution rate has been lower recently, we still have a death penalty structure here.
- Education is a lot worse here while in the rest of the developed world, it's great. In states like Louisiana and Mississippi, you can see how important public funding is when it comes to education. They don't put too much funding into it, which is why their education is terrible. But in states like California, you can see how labor unions on education is failing. California is one of the worst states when it comes to education, yet teachers there are the highest paid in the nation. Texas has the highest high school dropout rates in America. I'll explain why later.
- We are behind on healthcare too. A huge chunk of Americans can't even tolerate what we called Obamacare, yet all the other countries in the western world have a must tougher socialized medicine program. And they have easier access to healthcare than we do with universal healthcare.
- Much of the developed world has banned guns entirely, and they are happy about it. In the United States, you can still own a gun, even where gun control laws are at the strictest. And we won't be following the rest of the world anytime soon because we take the 2nd Amendment more seriously.
- Because of how large of a role religion plays here, we are still debating on issues like abortion and same-sex marriage, which has now expanded to religious for-profit businesses and companies fighting for the rights to opt out of same-sex weddings and proving birth control. The devolped world has went beyond that point, as religion is fading there.
- And the rest of the developed world has already got large populations speaking many different languages. In the United States, we couldn't even tolerate people that don't speak English to live here.

Am I proud at how we're behind the rest on the world at this? No, cause this is shameful, but I'm really anti-liberal as I oppose all of their views on political issues (except for the same-sex marriage issue, where I'm for legalization). But I am patriotic and would still live here, even if we're still behind the rest of the world on the social issues.

Well I don't see how I am liberal for pointing out the issues occurring in this country.
I don't follow parties.. Republicans? Liberals? They are all the same if none of the two parties are actually standing for the people.
To me that is one of the problems we have in the US. It is either white or black... never gray, when in reality, the world has different tones of gray. We need to think things more critically and develop our own opinions through research and reason. By the way, I don't consider myself anti-liberal nor liberal. I consider myself human and speak with humanitarian ideas backed by science.

And I am glad you did your research on pointing out those issues. See? pointing out the problem does not mean you hate the country. It only means you are aware of the problems and could think of ways of making the country better by making those changes.

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haha welcum 2 human race kiddo

That still does not make racism acceptable, son.

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It's really sad to me how many people in my generation don't even understand what makes America unique and don't think America is a decent country, let alone a great one. I wonder why people like that who obviously hate America so much don't just renounce their citizenship and/or move to a country they think is better, and I'd love to know what country they think that might be.

That is because we do think that America could be great. Pointing out the problems in your country does not translate to hate. It only means you are aware of the problems that should be changed by the people in power. That is why you vote after doing your research about the candidates that will be representing you in government. And no! You definitely don't want people to leave this country. The US is a country of immigrants. That is how it was founded. By pointing out the problems, you are critically thinking on ways of how to make this country better and not the same as the world. Is racism ok with you? how about police brutality and mass incarceration? or the government deciding what women should and should not do to their bodies? It is important to stay politically active in these things so we don't make the US a dictatorship country like N. Korea for example.

 

[B e t h a n y]

how could you be proud to live in a nation that thinks the correct way to try Vegemite is on a spoon?