Happy Birthday USA
The general stereotype is that liberals aren't patriots. We're accused of worshipping foreign idols--usually the French. We're libeled as rooting against America and seeing only our errors and faults. This is worse than stereotype. It's caricature. You can take the most extreme and find self-hate and rejection of country. You can do the same with the extreme right. Ironically, some people who told liberals "America, love or leave it," are today threatening secession from the union.
The truth is that beyond the caricatures we draw of one another, most of us love our country. And ours is a country worth loving. Yes, we see the flaws--as we see the flaws in our own families, but please don't let anyone outside the family criticize my kids, my spouse and certainly never my grandchildren. Me? I can make a gently snide observation. You better not try. Not with my family and not with my country.
I have travelled, studied and lived all over the world, and while there're many lovely places to visit, there's no place else on earth where I'd rather live. I see our imperfect elections--Florida 2000, Ohio 2004, Chicago, well, every year. Then I look at Iran. We cannot imagine a situation like in Honduras where the president tries to change the constitution to serve his own interests, ignores his supreme court and congress and then is removed by the military. I complained about Nixon. But I never doubted he'd obey the Supreme Court's order. There was never a coup to fear.
We won't agree on many important issues, but we can and should give thanks for a nation whose founding motto is E pluribus Unum--out of many (peoples, ideas and visions) we become one nation. Happy Birthday USA!
©2009 Jonathan Dobrer
www.Dobrer.com
Perhaps the reason the "general stereotype is that liberals aren't patriots" is because so many vocal liberals have turned "patriot" into a dirty word, Jonathan. To pretend otherwise is to be disingenuous. Your analogy of family/country is interesting, but not fully supportable. Liberals seem to allow all kinds of things to be said about their country (and done TO their country) without batting an eye.
Furthermore, the truth is that the phrase "America, love it or leave it" is generally directed at those liberals who can't seem to find one good thing about this country. It is not "caricature" to ask the honest question: if you think communism/socialism/whatever-ism is superior to what we've got here, what's keeping you? Don't let the door hit you on your way out. (Alec Baldwin and other loud mouthed Hollywood types come to mind.)
Furthermore, you entirely mis-state the point in your comment about secession (which I assume is what you meant, not some variant of the word "success"). No "people" are threatening secession--states can threaten secession, and in fact it would be very American to do so, as the Constitution recognized a FEDERATION of states, with very limited federal powers and most rights, privileges and responsibilities reserved to the states. There is no irony here, Jonathan.
What's more, be sure to add the 2008 election to your list of "imperfect" ones, since it has been proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that Bush did not steal the election (despite the constant bleatings of liberals who refuse to acknowledge reality), but the shadow of ACORN nonsense has not yet been exposed to the light.
Yes, most of us are thankful for this country, and looking at situations around the world should deepen that sentiment. Agreed.
Hi Diane
Great catch on "session." Thanks. And yes, I know that people don't leave the union, states do,but I was referring specifically to the Gov of Texas, whom I don't take very seriously. He's running for office and trying to go right of Sen Kay Bailey Hutchison.
Of course my assertion (of anything) is not fully supportable. Nothing very important is. But my larger point is that most of us--left and right--are decent, care for each other and love our country. My larger point is that we may express our love in different ways but this does not mean we haver to disrespect each other.
During the 60s, I was in the Peace Corps in Tunisia. My home was the R & R headquarters of our Marine Embassy Guards--all of whom had served in combat in Vietnam. We loved and respected each other and our country.