My patriotism

[susandennis]

As a kid, I waved the flag like everybody else. My paternal grandfather was a particular flag waver and country lover. He had been born in Germany and was a naturalized U.S. citizen often extolling the virtues of "this great country".

Then as I left my teen years, "this great country" started requiring boys to go to Viet Nam and fight a ridiculous war we had business even being in. It was not fair that I was not required to do this. It was not fair that they were required to do this. And that went on for years. By the time it was over, the combination of red, white and blue made me sad and furious.

And, frankly, I never really felt patriotic again. I especially eschew the my-country-right-or-wrong patriotism born of 9/11. But these days it I find the United States mostly embarrassing. I cannot identify with Trump's America. I cannot identify with the 1%ers or the all-corporations-are-evil bunch. I am not proud to be an American.

I do not feel freerer than those who live in other a fair number of other countries. I honestly have no desire to live in another country. Heck, I'm not interested in living in another city.

I'm just glad the 4th of July is behind over.

Comments

[ladythmpr.livejournal.com]

I spent yesterday in Canada, where their patriotic holiday was on Monday (which I also missed). I think the only thing missed about the annual celebration was the fireworks.

[lenine2.livejournal.com]

I feel exactly as you do. Probably because of my age. When I was little it seemed that young men would disappear from the neighborhood. "He went to Viet Nam." When POW bracelets were in fashion my mother had my sister's and mine brought over by the mother-in-law of the man whose name was on the bracelet, and she broke down in our living room. He was never found. I remember the protests and the funerals on TV. That's the America I grew up in, and it's colored my opinion of things.

My parents, on the other hand, were children during WWII. They see things differently because of the America they grew up in.

To summarize: "Ditto!"

[idahoswede.livejournal.com]

My disillusionment started with Vietnam and has only increased. I find it interesting now that there are still SO many people who cannot understand why I chose to take Swedish citizenship and still talk about our form of socialism as though it was the worst of diseases. I have not been to the States now for about 20 years. I doubt I would even recognise it any more.