Country Pride

[FarmerChick]

Do you think families and education and more is influencing the younger generations to hate their country?

Do you see more "trash America" by its own citizens in these years. "America is evil" etc......? Has it become dog eat dog to every level now? To where you throw your own country under the bus? Or have mentally checked out of their society?

Or do you see more people standing behind their country, working for change to the better? To keep American pride? To stand up and support your country? To improve life for all within its borders? To correct the wrongs and fight hard for it?




just wondering what everyone thinks?

 

[mandieg4]

I think a little bit of both. Most of the anti-American stuff I just see in the news or read about, the real patriotism I see in real life closer to home. BUT I also live in the rural South, which probably makes a difference.

 

[TTs Chicks]

I think a little bit of both. Most of the anti-American stuff I just see in the news or read about, the real patriotism I see in real life closer to home. BUT I also live in the rural South, which probably makes a difference.

Me too. It amazes me the amount of things I see that are anti-American. I love this country and do not want to live anywhere else, visit maybe but not live.

 

[Wifezilla]

I see a lot of the anti-american sentiment coming from university level students. It is probably worse in some areas, but I am in a military town. If you were an adult spouting off about how america sux, odds were you would be surrounded by military families while doing it and they would spout back.

 

[big brown horse]

Hey WZ, I am surrounded by the Army, the Navy shipyard and the Air Force! I love it. The American Pride shows up everywhere, it is very refreshing. The public schools have the most wonderful, heart felt, tear jerking Veteran's day concerts that I've ever been to. I didn't see that in TX so much...and I lived near an Army base. My daughter was recently asked to make a yellow star for anyone in her family that was in the military. She made two, one for my dad (retired Navy underwater demolition) and one for her brother (currently in the Army, now stationed in Iraq ) They hung the stars up on the school's walls in the auditorium for the rest of the year.

(Cute story, last winter my Honda spun out on an ice patch, before I could do anything, 4 handsome, strapping NAVY gents practically lifted my little car out of the patch and set it down in a heavily sanded spot. They were back in their vehicle almost before I could shout "thank you!")

Go America!! We need a "little" more reform here and there, and less "lobbyist influence" but, all in all I wouldn't want to live anywhere else. Most of my friends feel the same way. I want nothing more than to see this country get better and better.

 

[bibliophile birds]

i've definitely had some of those "America sucks" moments, but they don't mean i've checked out on trying to make things better here. i think the root of the problem is the same thing we talk about here: a complete disconnect with the physical reality of our own country. we now live in a virtual world where we are more connected with people on the other side of the country than we are the people in our town (which isn't completely bad, as this forum proves) and almost everything that sustains us is imported. i think that a lot of the abuses that make people feel like their own country is evil come from this same kind of disconnect. there is too much power in the hands of only a few corporations. lobbyists are going to kill this country.

since we feel like we aren't connected to the companies, groups, and people who make these bad decisions, and those people have basically been running this country from the wings for a long time, it's easy to succumb to those "America sucks" moments. Britain suffers the same thing, but a little less publicly. but when you look at nations that are still extremely connected, physically and emotionally, to their country (and their land)- Italy, France, Spain- you don't see that kind of ambivalence or outright distrust of someone's own country.

then more transient we become, the less connection we feel with our national identity. those of us who are lucky enough to be emotionally and physically connected to a piece of land usually know better (but we still can have our moments). i've had several friends who have left the South spout off about how they hate it and it's so backwards. i just don't understand it. i mean, there are lots of things that go on here that i hate- racism, sexism, homophobia, intolerance of many kinds- but i can never HATE the South. the South made me who i am. the people i love are here. the piece of land that is home is here. rather than leaving and badmouthing this place, i am here making a difference where i can.

i think a lot of kids and people my age simply can't see how all the bad things are separate from "America." to them, America is the bad things because they aren't connected to any of the good things anymore. not to get into politics, but during this last election, it seemed like a little of that was starting to change. regardless of who was going to get elected, young people started to realize that they are a part of this country, that "America" isn't some untouchable, unchangeable thing. a lot of the "America is evil" talk is slowing down now that those kids realize that WE ARE America.

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

Go America!! woot We need a "little" more reform here and there, and less "lobbyist influence" but, all in all I wouldn't want to live anywhere else. Most of my friends feel the same way. I want nothing more than to see this country get better and better.

aint that right. even when i lived deep in the heart of counter-culture-defy-authority-including-your-govt i was and am still all about patriotism. my position is that if you dont like it - get out.

this is the best country on earth - and the best country to be born into especially if you are a girl

USA! USA! USA!

 

[murphysranch]

Being a military brat all my life and enduring my dad being in the Vietnam war for 18 months flying transport planes, I'm very pro military and very pro USA. We moved every three years and I wouldn't trade that life for anyones.

I'm also a ground breaker for women. I was the first woman admitted to my college's Army ROTC program ever, back in the early 70's. I made the local newspaper, cus it was a big deal for the bastion of men-dom to finally allow a woman to join the ranks as a cadet. They were seriously unprepared tho - I had to hike over a hill at Fort Ord to be able to go to the bathroom in private when we were out on training. And when I stayed in the barracks, I got my own room with the two other women who eventually joined up.

I've tried to instill the same love of America to my children, but DD is so negative in her overall thinking that I'm disgusted alot of the time, and my DS is apathetic about his future, much less his country. Wonder if this generation (23 and 18) are all like that?

 

[big brown horse]

Being a military brat all my life and enduring my dad being in the Vietnam war for 18 months flying transport planes, I'm very pro military and very pro USA. We moved every three years and I wouldn't trade that life for anyones.

I'm also a ground breaker for women. I was the first woman admitted to my college's Army ROTC program ever, back in the early 70's. I made the local newspaper, cus it was a big deal for the bastion of men-dom to finally allow a woman to join the ranks as a cadet. They were seriously unprepared tho - I had to hike over a hill at Fort Ord to be able to go to the bathroom in private when we were out on training. And when I stayed in the barracks, I got my own room with the two other women who eventually joined up.

I've tried to instill the same love of America to my children, but DD is so negative in her overall thinking that I'm disgusted alot of the time, and my DS is apathetic about his future, much less his country. Wonder if this generation (23 and 18) are all like that?

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

rock on murphysranch!


i think its more the age than anything - i'm not sure they have the life experience to understand that altho some things are hard, they will perverse and achieve.

i just heard on the news that some younger people (late teens) are suicidal over the fact that the planet where that Avatar movie takes place .....isnt real. for heavens sakes.

also - and to FC point - the teen-focused media sells the "authority/your country is bad - be a rebel" message.
:-(