There is a question going around that gives me pause. The query asks, “Are you proud to be an American?” I hesitate when asked this because of the word proud. I tend to be proud of my accomplishments because they took hard work, determination, willingness to go the extra mile to achieve. Pride indicates some kind of effort has been expended not just being born in American. Living here for all of my life has happened almost passively. I feel incredibly fortunate to be an American. I like being an American. I believe deep down that Americans want to be good and generous people but being proud is the wrong word to use.
I am proud of Americans who suffer slings and arrows of condemnation for having the courage to stand up for what is right. I am proud of those souls in Minnesota who literally risked their lives and their livelihoods to attempt to protect their neighbors. I am proud of American athletes who train for years to represent us well in the world at large whether they win or lose. I am proud of the moments when Americans are welcoming to those who come to visit or to live in our country. I am proud of the courage of our Founding Fathers who so courageously and audaciously declared their independence from a tyrannical king. I am proud of myself when I have the courage to point out problems that need to be remedied. Just saying that I am proud to be an American requires no effort on my part unless my pledge of allegiance acknowledges that we are one nation of many diverse people who must always insure that there will be liberty and justice for all, not just the sheepish followers of a particular person.
What the history of our nation tells me is that even our beginning was an attempt to right wrongs. It was revolutionary to question the king and his rules. Those founders and the citizens who followed them were protesting a system that had too long been simply accepted as a kind of divinely blessed way of life. They were radical. They were brave. They did what they believed was right even as their actions were illegal and might have landed them in jail or hanging from a noose. I am proud of what they were willing to risk and of the democracy that they ultimately created even as they themselves understood that it was not perfect.
We honor the flag and our national anthem as symbols but those things in themselves are not who we are as Americans. They are things, personifications of the nation that we have built. When someone uses them to protest, they are literally following the example of the people of long ago who understood the importance of using such images to express our needs in the continuing efforts to insure our freedom. I am always proud of the people who risk their careers and livelihoods to peacefully stand up against any form of persecution.
I am proud of that my great grandfather fought in the Civil War to save our union. I am proud of my father and uncles who fought against fascism. I am proud of my grandchildren who are willing to point out problems that are affecting Americans who have little power. I am proud of the brilliant Americans who have made scientific breakthroughs that have saved lives and helped us to keep improving the world in which we live. I am proud of the Americans who go to work each day to teach, or protect, or create, or soothe, or repair but I am not proud just to live in a certain place. But for the vagaries of the universe I might have never even existed much less lived in the United States of America. Millions of things done by the people who came before me had to happen in certain ways to get me here. Mine was nothing more than the act of being born and I am very happy about how things turned out but not necessarily proud.
There are indeed meaningful ways of being a proud citizen but those things require much effort on the part of each of us. We must pay attention to the issues and take the time to learn truth from multiple sources. We can’t simply tune in to media that supports our views. Our jobs should be to seek the bare faced realities even when doing so can be distressing. With our knowledge we then must make decisions of how to vote, not only for only our personal beliefs but for the welfare of the largest number of people. When we take the time to vote intelligently we can certainly feel a sense of gratitude and even a bit of pride.
It is all too easy to fall into a state of blind allegiance if we stay too busy to seek out what is really happening. We do not have to walk in lockstep with the crowd. Wearing a flag pin on our lapels only means something if we are willing to be active citizens working for the betterment of all. Being a proud American is not about a circus. It is a serious endeavor in which we should all be hard at work. I am proud of how much time I have dedicated to studying the issues that face us all. I am proud of all of the hard work that brave and concerned Americans have done over two hundred fifty years to make this nation better and better for all. I think that is what most of the founders had in mind. We must never forget that the work is never done. We will always be a work in progress. I am proud to be part of that work right now.
All It Takes Is A Little Love 