The Glade 4.0

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In time, this too shall pass.

I take no pride in something I didn't earn. I am GLAD I'm an American, but it has nothing to do with pride. I was born a US Citizen, but I am no more proud of my country of birth than I am of my height, the color of my hair (or lack thereof), my shoe size or the fact that I have five fingers on each hand.

I'm more proud of the fact that I walk upright. I at least learned to do that through effort.

I was about to write something much like what TheRiov posted. I like being an American. However, I am also aware that our government is not always something to be proud of and some of our citizens are something to be ashamed of.

I would love to be always proud of my country. I don't think that is a realistic goal for someone who can understand politics. I am very happy that we've made it this far, afraid of what our government will do in trying to keep itself in power, and understand the average citizen doesn't have access to enough data to make valid judgement calls about much of anything outside their own neighborhood, if even that far.

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The U. S. Constitution doesn't guarantee happiness, only the pursuit of it. You have to catch up with it yourself. B. Franklin

"A mind needs books like a sword needs a whetstone." -- Tyrion Lannister, A Game of Thrones

(1) I'm not an American.

(2) This...

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Well Ali Baba had them forty thieves, Scheherezade had a thousand tales
But master you in luck 'cause up your sleeves you got a brand of magic never fails...
...Mister Aladdin, sir, What will your pleasure be?
Let me take your order, Jot it down -You ain't never had a friend like me
█ ♣ █

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"Dress cops up as soldiers, give them military equipment, train them in military tactics, tell them they’re fighting a ‘war,’ and the consequences are predictable." —Radley Balko

I cannot in good conscience deny the many benefits that come with being an American citizen, not to mention the many good things that this country has done for the rest of the world. By all rights, I am extraordinarily lucky to have beaten the odds and be born into a relatively well-off American family.

However, I also cannot in good conscience turn a blind eye and put my fingers in my ears while yelling "Lalalalala!" to all of the messed up crap that happens in this country, let alone blindly support it.

I am a moderately proud American.

Carlin's point is the same as TheRiov's. (Excerpt for the youtubely-challenged)

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Well Ali Baba had them forty thieves, Scheherezade had a thousand tales
But master you in luck 'cause up your sleeves you got a brand of magic never fails...
...Mister Aladdin, sir, What will your pleasure be?
Let me take your order, Jot it down -You ain't never had a friend like me
█ ♣ █

See, I'm proud of this country. I'm proud of my service to this country; I've seen first hand the good that America has done around the world.

Yes, I'm proud to be an American, and when I'm abroad, I proudly wear my flag patch. While wearing it, many have bought me drinks, or shook my hand; few have given me dirty looks, none have had the courage to speak ill.

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"Dress cops up as soldiers, give them military equipment, train them in military tactics, tell them they’re fighting a ‘war,’ and the consequences are predictable." —Radley Balko

I didn't ask or have any choice in being born into my family but I'm proud to be a part. Same for America.

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"It is true that democracy undermines freedom when voters believe they can live off of others' productivity, when they modify the commandment: 'Thou shalt not steal, except by majority vote.' The politics of plunder is no doubt destructive of both morality and the division of labor."

Not particularly. I have no qualms with it, and I am glad for the accident of my birth occurring in a prosperous area, but it's the people who made it so, not the land or any national borders. I am glad too for the actions my predecessors took before me, putting forth ideas of government and personal freedoms that were groundbreaking in history. I rejoice in the heroism, ingenuity, and success of others who also were citizens of this country. But I find the idea of self-worth attached to an external definition (particularly such a nebulous one) somewhat incomprehensible. There is no "American" cultural identity, at least by any substantive metric. If it works for you, truly I'm glad, and more power to you. I can only speak for myself, however, and say that for me, it doesn't.

I identify myself by the interests, ideas, accomplishments, and choices that I make, much the same way that my family is those I choose rather than simply those with whom I share DNA. I don't find myself to be of more or less worth than anyone else by virtue of being born within the imaginary lines of the chunk of land we dub "America," and I find it presumptuous to share the accomplishments of others by claiming fealty to the same third of a continent. I'm a person; I don't feel the need to be put into another box.

Glad to be an American

I try and help make this country a better place, but frankly my contributions are so minuscule when compared to the size/population of the country it just seems silly to take any real level of pride in them.

Not proud. I did nothing to earn being an American, I am proud of America and I imagine our servicemen are (as they should be).

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America, overall, is a strong force for good in the world. We are generous, honorable, and willing to share our knowledge and technology with those we deem able to help.

Our country is what it is because of the people. I am one of those. I am proud of what our country is and what it does. And I am proud to play my part.

This.

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"Hysterical children shrieking about right-wing anything need to go sit in the corner and be quiet while the adults are talking."

So what's it like where y'all live? In the 1950's.

America ain't really any of that anymore.

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Holy shitsnacks!

Yeah, it pretty much is. It was less so in the 1950s; nostalgia notwithstanding.

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"Hysterical children shrieking about right-wing anything need to go sit in the corner and be quiet while the adults are talking."