There is no doubt in my mind that America is the greatest country in the world to live in. I love this place, and wouldn't trade it for anywhere. We have wonderful places to see here, freedoms that we enjoy that are envious everywhere else, and a diverse melting pot of people from every walk of life that you can name, that we can learn from, and you can literally do whatever you want here. Would I love to visit other countries and cultures? Yes but my head will always come back to here because of my love of this country, and what it has to offer. There is a rich history here, but there is something transpiring nowadays that is really an annoying trend, and needs to be addressed.
There are certain people in this country in the public eye who seem to bring up the constant catchphrases and talking points of "The Forefathers this......." and "The Forefathers that....." and "Family values that that the forefathers blah blah blah" There seems to be some strange and idiotic idea of a utopian America almost 240 years ago, where everything was rosy, everyone had integrity, and things ran as smooth as a new engine and if we can just go back there to whatever ideas existed, all will be right with this country again. I get extremely annoyed at these notions because The real history of this country and its beginnings are as dark as any country's darkest moments. These folks want you to believe that the "Star Spangled Banner" was playing loudly throughout our fight for independence, and that the path to greatness that this country took was wholesome, wonderful, and spiritual. The reality of loving this country unconditionally means understanding and accepting just what this country has done to get to where it is today, and having no dreamy music playing in your head as you long for the days of this place's early existence.
Accept the fact that this country has done things in its quest for independence, expansion and power, that we would condemn, sanction, and threaten other countries for doing. There has been slavery, genocide, deception, flat out lying, and cajoling, corruption, bloodshed, and war waging for territory, and a host of other things all done by America. Now the men that drew up the laws that govern us had nice foresight, and there are some genius things in place, but these very men were far from perfect, and in fact some of them owned people. That doesn't mean that they weren't great men, or not smart, but it means that this notion of a wonderful utopia in 1776 didn't exist when you have people enslaved by self proclaimed "Civilized" folk. That is called reality, and some folk seem to want to paint a revisionist history as they call upon the spirit of those that founded this place. This place did not become great by honorable means. We violated treaties, made our own laws, and broke them, and stole some of the things that are currently our property. That is a fact that cannot be gotten around, and anyone who doesn't acknowledge it is not based in any reality whatsoever. Historical facts that have taken place are not to be scrubbed, or turned around, or ignored. Today is tomorrow's history, and there will be moments of greatness as well as moments of loathing. That is why history is so rich, and dense. These contradicting things happen sometimes in the same moment.
Which leads me right to another annoying trait of these same folks who now throw the "P" word at folks who bring up and remind people of this reality. All of a sudden someone's patriotism is questioned, and now they don't love America as much as someone else. Anyone who questions my patriotism for this country is going to have a tremendous problem with me. I will never ever question another man or woman's love and patriotism for this country, and I dare someone to question mine, but you have people all of the time who throw this out onto some righteous platform when someone questions or critiques America, and its faults. There are tremendous warts and faults here, and the past of this country is as bad, and as good as any other country's. Loving something unconditionally means recognizing, and acknowledging faults, and accepting them. Truly loving America means understanding history, and how it affects today, and how you can possibly make it better tomorrow. But if you continue to have some weird love affair with an idea of the past that didn't really exist, you will never fix what's going on now.
America didn't lose its stature because we didn't adhere to some 240 year old dead person's family values. America lost its stature because it got fat and lazy thinking that the rest of the world would never catch up. But the rest of the world watched how we did it, and caught up by applying it to who they were, while we were bitching about the rest of the world, and not adjusting to the changing times ourselves. It's like the aspect of somebody complaining about how some job needs to be done. As they complain, they could have been doing it, and been done with it, while the co worker next to that person just did it and now is done and can go home.
My point in this post is very simple. You don't have to go backwards in time to make things great for America. This place is great now, and if everyone would just stop pointing fingers at everyone else calling them this ideological name or that ideological name, just maybe we could get some things done. There is no rainbow colored symphonic past for America where everyone carried Bibles. And there is no shortcut for making this place better in the future. It will take the unconditional love of all of us to get it going. And that unconditional love requires acknowledgement that your country isn't perfect, nor ever has been. Nor has ever even been close. But the name calling, and ideological stances need to stop. But since I am a history buff, history tells me one thing. They won't.
No matter what..I love you America. Warts and all. Happy Birthday. Have a safe 4th of July everyone.
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