When I was going through an existential phase in college many years ago, I used to ask anyone who’d listen, “What’s the meaning of all this? What is the point?” Why was I born in South Carolina, in the United States, in this skin, and with this body?
“I could have been born anywhere,” I’d say. Why here? Why now? Why a woman? Why a black person? What does it all mean? I’m still seeking answers to some of those questions, but I know this: I thank God I was born on American soil, and he must have a good reason for making it so.
My country is a land of the free, home of the brave, but I used to talk trash about it and take for granted its freedom and opportunities. I saw the error of my ways, however. America is my homeland, and I have grown to love it.
Who cares what “they” say? Envy! Let them complain and criticize and demonize. For all its faults (which are legion), America is the freest, the best, the greatest, the most benevolent and charitable country on the planet.
It is my homeland, and I love it. Here’s to another 232 years!
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Well this is one Christian Canadian that loves your nation and I wish it a very happy birthday indeed!!
Devon
God Bless the U.S.A.!
Happy Birthday United States. I LOVE my country too!
Thanks La Shawn. I feel the same way about this wonderful country. Sorry to say, it took me somewhat longer than you to come to realize the blessing of being born in this country.
God Bless the U. S. A.
I think we’ve all had those type of questions. But when I think about them, I realize that if any of my traits had been altered, then I wouldn’t really be me, would I? Those seemingly random and meaningless traits make up who I am, and that includes being an American.
So, cliche though it sounds, I’m proud to be an American. It’s like being proud of your family. Yes, sometimes family members do stupid things, but you can’t get rid of the fact that they are yours, or that you are theirs. Nor should you really want to. Happy 4th everyone!
America is the founder of true democractic republic. The land that threw away Kings and Queens and revolutionized the world. Nobody thought we would last – nobody thought a land could be run that peasants had a vote in.
It was not founded as perfect, but it strove to live up to its promise and continues to strive like no other nation. If there was a nation to be poor in this would be the one you choose – because the chance for advancement is still better here than any other country.
Think of our first President today. George Washington was the first General of a military who turned down royality. He refused to be King even when the masses offered it to him. Not the greatest of military Generals – but he learned and ran a ragtag group of colonist to victory. For years all others used him as the benchmark to rate their Presidency. He wasnt a Democrat or Republican, but everyone saw him as a great leader who accomplished incredible things before he was President. At every meeting and event he was seen as the leader who everyone wanted to know about his opinion on the issue being debated. Imagine if a lesser man took the job or accepted the offer to be King. In a critical time he was the right man for the job. Not perfect – but a great man.
Yeah, he was my favorite President. Read up on him if you ever get a chance.
And be proud today.
my country tis of thee, bereft of oil refineries, of thee of sing.
let’s tax exxonmobil and deny the permission to drill. get taxed till what you keep is nill and don’t forget about national healthcare.
God Bless the USA in spite of those who’d want to destroy it.
God bless the USA BECAUSE there are those who want to destroy it.
I love living here too, but I don’t consider myself patriotic. I feel that patriotism is an idol that we bow down to. After 9/11 we kept saying God Bless America and I thought that was presumptous unless we add please after it. I love our county, yes, the people, the freedom, etc, but I don’t love our government and you have to realize that the government can’t help us, witness Katrina, we can only help each other. LaShawn, I may not always agree with what you say, but you’ve grown as a blogger and you’re one of the best out there.
Chuck–
To say “God Bless America” doesn’t have anything to do with the government. WE are America.
I doubt if you always say “please” when you say “God bless–” (though if I’m wrong I apologize). The idea that it is presumptuous only in this case is, well, presumptuous.
If you don’t consider yourself patriotic, perhaps you don’t really love the things you claim to love. To be patriotic is to love the unique and irreplaceable ideals that created America. If you love “the people, the freedom, etc.”, but are not patriotic, you are in essence spitting in the face of those who have sacrificed to give you those things.
Think about it.
“We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”
It is up to us to make those wonderful words work. We rule ourselves through a representative democracy. I certainly hope God bestows His blessing on us, we need them to do our work.
Thanks for returning to some political stuff.
I have missed your insights.
Chuck,
You seem to equate patriotism with government worship. Patriotism is love of country, and We the People are the country. Government is there as the vehicle that (supposedly) carries out the will of We the People. That the government does it badly doesn’t change the greatness of our nation, its founding, and the ideals that put ordinary people at liberty and in charge of their own fate.
God bless America, and God bless you too, Chuck!
LaShawn,
Wonderful insights.
Here is a prayer in which someone else might wish to join me, for our fellow-citizens and our nation (originally posted at NewsBusted):
July 4, 2008 – 11:04 ET by wiley cat
Happy 4th of July.
May it not be our last as a Republic of free & independent citizens, by God’s grace. Right now, this year, we have an obvious “Call to Participate” and pray, to be able to do what is necessary and what is still possible, to preserve the magnificent and glorious freedoms we have, the principals of which are the right to worship, speak, and associate freely, according to our faith and conscience, and to defend those rights against all enemies.
I pray for discernment and awakening for all citizens who value our Bill of Rights, for the reasons they were written. I pray for an active and concerned citizenry who insist on knowing and being told the truth, who will be satisfied with nothing less. and discontented with anything less.
I pray for a unity based on the worth and value and individual spirit of each living person, and the freedom to associate and communicate with any person as we see fit.
I pray for a freedom which allows each person to stand or fall, or be rescued, and appreciated, as an individual, uniquely created person, and to pursue life to the full extent of their skills and abilities, as their spirit leads them, enjoying the protection from the lawless and violent provided by a government led by those who ascribe to these same ideals.
God bless America, and each leader and person who dwells within.
(The Newsbusted video – http://www.youtube.com/newsbusted – was not working when posted due to an administrative error, but it provoked a number of comments similar to the following):
P.S. What did happen to the Newbusted video? I guess it’s possible that even YouTube couldn’t handle the hits. Or did George Soros buy YouTube and I missed it? (God bless George Soros, too.)
There is NO “anthropogenic” Global Warming. NONE.
Skyepuppy and Trish, I got a hat today that describes my sentiment. I love my country, it’s the government I’m afraid of. I do love it here, having lived in Europe when I was in the Army. Most of the people living over there are arrogant, especially the French. Also spent 6 months in Saudi Arabia during Desert Storm, where women are second class citzens.
Chuck–
See, that was our point. Patriotism isn’t about the government, it’s about the nation–us.
May god bless the U.S.A.! Let there be peace, unity and freedom!
Americans seem to believe that “those” who want to “destroy” their country want that because…they want to. Wake up guys. You may be the center of the world for now, but as the leading country in the world, at least others expect you to be up to your charge-to give the good example.
Everything I read on American ( mostly christian) blogs give me the feeling that none of them is aware of what their countrymen keep doing in other countries which revolt people- political manipulation, support for dictatorships, and so on, and the most shocking : destruction of a whole country (Iraq) based on lies and greed.
I don’t hate America .Neither do I hate Americans. I just expect you and your country to stay true to your values-which I think are the best-once you cross your borders. And to consider that people like Iraqis are people like you and me. You care about your dead and injured soldiers in Iraq- which is a totally legitimate concern-but you never care about how many millions Iraqis saw their living and lives destroyed by the war. They would even die for you to have cheap oil , you wouldn’t care. Well, often try to ask yourselves why people have grievances against your country. Please do not point Islam, you’re not the only christian nation in the world. nor jealousy, it’s such an easy way to go.
God bless America. Sincerely
Just passing by
A young african and evangelical christian
We’re not perfect–sometimes I get sick of having to offer the disclaimer–but we are still the finest country in the world, and I’m proud to be an American.
Long may its freedoms soar, and may my grandchildren and my great-grandchildren continue to benefit from our many blessings.
Under God, we are. Under God, we must remain.
#20, how many people perished under sadaam’s reign? did they die peacefully or in horrific ways? did they get to vote while sadaam was their leader? how many times did they vote since his death? how are women faring now? if what we wanted was oil, why not take it from kuwait since our troops have been stationed there for quite some time? on second thought, since we like invading other countries, why bother going to iraq? we could’ve invaded canada (they’re our #2 supplier of oil). in this world, you have al-queda (sp?), assad, putin, mugabe, kim jong il, chavez, communist china, etc. if the u.s. goes under, what becomes of the rest of the world?
I love our country including our government structure. Often the government makes mistakes, but the way it is set up allows for corrections via voter participation.
We are not perfect by any means, but this country is simply amazing when you consider its beauty, its people, its energy, its optimism, its toughness, its high goals.
However, I do not begrudge people from other countries from thinking the same about their own nations. I believe that whatever country you are in, you should support it, or improve it and feel proud of your neighbors and countrymen.
#20–
My dear young african, you have been misled. We are in Iraq BECAUSE the Iraqis are people like us, and deserve to have a decent life. We are not the ones who ruined them. We are the ones who are giving them a chance. If you hate us for that–and it’s obvious from your post that you do hate us–you need a wake-up call.
“God Bless America” is already a prayer, a plea, with or without the “please.” If it were a presumptuous statement, it would be “God Blesses America.”
All you have to do is visit a bunch of countries. Many countries are poverty-striken and/or are ruled by destructive regimes, even if they are supposedly “democratic”. I’d say the US is one of the best on the planet–there are perhaps 10 decent countries on earth–let’s hope our freedom doesn’t corrode and our economy doesn’t tank even further.
How common and foolish!
There is nothing in post #20 that indicates hatred.
NO person, entity, or country is above scrutiny. If I will talk about my own brother because of his sin and rebellion, I will talk about whomever I choose, with the Oracles of Yahweh validating every word I utter.
America, just like every other country in the WORLD is full of sin and enmity towards Father Yahweh and his Law. Get on the right side of his instruction, and people don’t have to worry about people talking about you.
Father Yahweh, in HIS wisdom…decided that I would be born of woman on the shores of the continental United States, and I’m not going anywhere unless I feel like it. I could have been born ANYWHERE, but he choose HERE, and I’m blessed because of HIM, and not because of ANY OTHER THING.
If people want to cling to being Patriotic this or “nationalist” that or “pro-black” this or “racialist” that.. that’s THERE business. But if they DO or attempt to jump off with anything contrary to his Oracles, then they will get served exactly what they ordered. NO exceptions.
“THEIR” business..
And I don’t love anybody or anything without a condition, except Abba Father, his son Y’Shua, my mother and my daughter.
Every thing else must be wholly qualified.
And I agree with whomever wrote that Patriotism “could” be considered a great appreciation for the country itself, and not necessarily the Government, and especially not the people on the whole.
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