There is a statement that I hear daily that disturbs me:

I'm proud to be an American. (Or African-American, Black, White, Asian, etc.)

Before you critcise, please allow me to clarify. What I mean is, how can you be proud to be an American any more than being proud of being a female or male or just born with a head? You can be proud to receive A's in college or even that you tied your shoes because you earned it. Your heritage or place of birth is not something earned or is even souly your decision. How can you be proud of something that just is? PROUD? Having pride and holding yourself above people born in other countries? Because of something that just is?

You don't earn being an American any more than can earn your race. Whether or not you are an American, African-American, Black, or White is determined not by you, but is the decision of God or at least our creator, whoever that may be. Some could easily argue this by stating that our ancestors earned America for us. Even some who believe in reincarnation could argue, but think of this...

If you say that you're proud to be an American now, had you been born in another country instead, would you then say that you would be proud to be a native of that country? You can't really answer that, can you? Even so, you still can't really be proud of it because you didn't earn it. To me, saying that you're proud to be an American is just giving yourself another reason to love yourself - not because of who you are or what you've made yourself - but just because of the inevitable.

For the record, I enjoy being an American and I do feel that it's a privilege, not because it's where I live and despite that I also believe that we are the laziest and most ungrateful of how much we have than the others, but because we have an easy life. Sometimes it's hard, but in America, if you're focused and try your hardest to reach your goals, acheiving them is almost always virtually possible.

I could be interpreting incorrectly; some could be proud of the people who made America what it is today. Even so, "I'm proud to be an American" wouldn't be the best-fitting declaration and I do know a lot of people who don't mean it this way. Still, the question remains: Had you been born in another country..?

I think we should all just be happy to be able to breathe air. My point is it's more accurate to say you're glad to be a part of a country, not proud. It just doesn't sound good to me.

On that note, I'm also not enjoying this VH1 special on "White people trying to be black". Grr. It makes me look bad.


:P Hope I didn't offend anyone too greatly.

Randomness: James and I had a shaving cream fight in the bathroom the other night. I was in the shower watching him shave his beard and he squirted me all over with blue shaving cream. I sprayed him with pink shaving cream. haha. Made me want cotton candy.

"If you say that you're proud to be an American now, had you been born in another country instead, would you then say that you would be proud to be a native of that country?"

Not if the country was a poverty-stricken hell-hole, or some place where the government truly sucks like Cuba. Although I am not Cuban, I think the fact that so many people immigrated from Cuba clearly shows just how much they hated their original government. (Plus, I know a Cuban family; they agree it sucked there, and are proud to be American now.)
» Bartholomew on 2005-08-19 06:22:32

Heh, oh yeah.
I would be happy to become an American, too. (Not that I'm not already grateful.)
» lucidblur on 2005-08-19 06:39:11

Yea, I think I get what ur saying
"White people trying to be black"? LOL they had 2 call a special that....
damn, I miss seeing VH1...
» CPKviperpheonix on 2005-08-19 09:56:25

I thought that said ' ice ' creamshaving fight thing.. weird at first. I'm proud to have a head, too by the way.
» Dilated on 2005-08-19 01:06:49

Hmm
i never thought of it that way...i always thought of "proud of being ______" as being accepting of your race and who you are. But u opened my mind to another interpretation.
» ColdRush on 2005-08-20 11:12:25

Sorry, you do not have permission to comment.

If you are a member, try logging in again or accessing this page here.