Sometimes I am proud of my country; sometimes I am not

I like what my country is supposed to represent. I like the ideals of the United States (even though I can't say this sentence without commenting that I think we are moving away from the ideals I cherish so much). Our founding fathers had many flaws, but there were definitely some wise men among them. Our Declaration of Independence is a document that does us proud, as they say in my homeland South. I like the entrepreneurial spirit here, the feeling that even if you are from humble beginnings, you can pursue the American Dream. Both my husband and I are from poor families, but we both went to school, took advantage of scholarships, and now we are in the ranks of the upper-middle class. We are the American Dream.

I think it's great to have some national pride. Most people I know have national pride, whether they are Canadian, or Mexican, Western European, or Asian, etc etc. One thing that I don't understand, though, is how many "proud Americans" seem to have no respect for another country's way of doing things. Mind you, I am not talking about respecting the Sudanese government right now, but other countries that allow reasonable freedom for its citizens. I really don't understand the attitude that we have the only way. It's a religious-like attitude that some people have here; our way or the highway. Our way is the only way, and all others are just dead wrong. I don't understand this form of national pride, and honestly it's a bit scary to me. I like to see how other countries address their problems. Sometimes I think they have chosen a terrible solution, and sometimes I impressed with how well something works that I wish our politicians and our citizens could open their minds up and see that we could learn from others, at least on occasion.

I am not proud to be grouped with the Americans who look only through the narrowest scope and can see no further than their backyard or their life. I wish Americans traveled more, read more, and learned more about the rest of the world. I consider my own knowledge to be sadly lacking when it comes to the ins-and-outs of other nations, yet I know by most accounts I am practically an expert just because I know where Iraq and Sudan go on a map.

Although I found John Kerry a bit annoying (well, I find most politicians annoying - I would run for office myself but I don't think I am electable - I don't sugar-coat things, and I am not a gifted manipulator), I was dismayed to see him criticized for thinking that issues are complicated, for seeing issues in shades of grey. True, you should NOT let a complicated situation stop you from making a decision (and whether he did that or not is for another debate), but I think it is a very wise thing to understand that the problems facing our country are difficult and complex - and they deserve deliberation and thought. Sometimes simple changes in the law can have repercussions that one did not intend, and it is nice, but rare, when these things are really thought out. Unfortunately, idealistic solutions never work out that way in reality, so there has to be some debate, and some compromise. On the right and the left, our politicians are blindsided by their narrow scope and their lack of wisdom. Is there such a thing as a wise politician? There certainly have been cases in history, but I am sad-pressed to see it now.

I am proud of the America that we could be, of what we are supposed to be, but I am not proud of what we currently are.