The 10th anniversary of the Sept 11 attacks just passed and everyone all over has a aura about them. Talking about how wonderful our country is and how much they love their country. You'll see proud Americans cheering as the national anthem is sung with pride all over T.V. and YouTube. What does it mean to be proud of your country? Is America really a "great and wonderful nation"? I was born in this country but I'm also first a generation Mexican-American, yet for some reason seeing all these "proud Americans" gives me a sick feeling in my stomach. I know it sounds very Un-American and I hate to say it but I don't feel as proud to be American as these people whooping and hollering on T.V. seem to be.
What makes America a great nation? I tried googling it and found several pages. Every single page talks about how great America is for business, entertainment, sports etc... Is that what defines being a great nation? Big businesses and corporations can make big money here. Hollywood makes the best damn movies seen all over the world. Athletes can make millions by playing pro sports. This is what makes our country great?
I've had it in my head that what should make a country great is defined by how the country treats it's citizens. Their education, poverty level, culture, over all health...etc. I look at my life looking to see how America has benefited my specific life. I went to a private school K-5th grade...that was all my parents hard earned money that did that. I did go to public school 6th grade through high school, which is paid out of my parents property taxes, with some help. I went to college and a large University, paid in full by my parents, myself and husband. The only time I asked for government help was when I was pregnant with my son. We didn't have health insurance, I wasn't working and we were barely making it on my husbands income. My sister-in-law made me apply. It was the worst feeling ever needing to apply for public aid. I kept feeling I was taking something away from someone else. There were more people in more need than me and as soon as I got a full time job with benefits, thanks to a friends referral, I stopped getting the help. Everything my family has, has been earned with hard work, sweat and tears. It was not given to us.
Perhaps it is all about perspective. For those who can afford health care and a great education for their children this is indeed a great nation. They do not feel the impact of the failed economy. Those families have the world as their playground and do not know what it is like to suffer or be hungry. They are even above the laws imposed on every one else, they can afford really good attorneys after all.
From what I can tell, for the rest of us America has one of the worst school systems in the world. Our health care is just about as bad. Many citizens live in poverty. A small percent of wealthy citizens control most of the nations money. We have a small percent of the worlds population but the highest that are in prisons. Our history started with righteousness and genocide. Racism, bigotry and intolerance is thriving. Hate and violence is defended by religious text. As big corporations make millions and billions in profits every year while we have starving children and people losing their homes. If politicians have their way we will become a very segregated country where education and our freedom will differ all over the country. I will say that we are one of the safest countries in the world, but quite frankly I attribute that to the fact that we only have two neighbors and we are half way around the world from countries that hate us. Laws are made to suppress and imprison as many people as possible to give the illusion of safety to the wealthy and naive.
I used to think America was a great nation but now after all that it's doing to separate my family, kill the economy, eliminate the middle class, and imprison minorities...sorry if I don't feel so patriotic.
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