Yesterday I had written a short piece for my social media, regarding the current state of American society - primarily based on the ever-increasing plethora of social media posts.
I think about this a lot. I remember the reaction from my European friends after 9/11 and our invasion to Iraq - they used the phrase American in a disapproving manner. How could we take the world’s sorrow and sympathy and turn it into an American arrogance. Or when someone says an action is “unamerican” like rioting the capitol.
I of course identify as an American and it’s not because I was born here and have a passport and pay taxes - for me it the ideal of the great American experiment- a people self governed. Where all “men” are created equal ... the pursuit of happiness...and so forth I think being an American, to me, is living everyday with those ideas as a guiding force. Our history tells us we have a long way to go. That in executing these ideas is not perfect. It’s the effort of trying that makes us American. We are not perfect but I am optimistic we can continue to be American.
Richard, first of all thank you for taking the time to comment.
This is an aspect of "being an American" that I had not considered, and a pointless that I find incredibly valuable to the discussion. You make reference to the "great American experiment", which is a term that I have not heard for quite some time. It reminded me that "America" is just that - an experiment that was established in those early days of debating by our forefathers. They were putting forth something that had not been done before - [to this extent], which is a federalist government.
You have sparked much internal dialog within me, and I can already feel it consuming me. Thank you...
I think about this a lot. I remember the reaction from my European friends after 9/11 and our invasion to Iraq - they used the phrase American in a disapproving manner. How could we take the world’s sorrow and sympathy and turn it into an American arrogance. Or when someone says an action is “unamerican” like rioting the capitol.
I of course identify as an American and it’s not because I was born here and have a passport and pay taxes - for me it the ideal of the great American experiment- a people self governed. Where all “men” are created equal ... the pursuit of happiness...and so forth I think being an American, to me, is living everyday with those ideas as a guiding force. Our history tells us we have a long way to go. That in executing these ideas is not perfect. It’s the effort of trying that makes us American. We are not perfect but I am optimistic we can continue to be American.
Richard, first of all thank you for taking the time to comment.
This is an aspect of "being an American" that I had not considered, and a pointless that I find incredibly valuable to the discussion. You make reference to the "great American experiment", which is a term that I have not heard for quite some time. It reminded me that "America" is just that - an experiment that was established in those early days of debating by our forefathers. They were putting forth something that had not been done before - [to this extent], which is a federalist government.
You have sparked much internal dialog within me, and I can already feel it consuming me. Thank you...