Sort of Legal

A few months ago, someone asked me if I thought America was the best country.  I didn’t have a direct answer.  Still don’t.  But I am damn proud to be an American (even if I find some of my fellow Americans embarrassing AF when traveling).

The United States IS a Great Country

My dad is an immigrant.  He moved here with his Ukrainian parents and siblings from Venezuela when he was five.  My grandparents, with little education even in their native language, worked hard in simple jobs like maintenance and baking and built a life here.  They were able to provide for their family and buy a home.

Today, most of their seven grandchildren are college educated, in fact, a majority have graduate degrees.  More importantly, despite being scattered across the country, we care very much about each other and there is no doubt that there will be a family member there when you need it.  I mean, sometimes, our family is there when you don’t need it – never shy about checking in or issuing unsolicited opinions on your life but always out of love.

My grandparents story may sound familiar.  It is not an uncommon one.  The story comes in different variations but the theme is the same: if you work hard and take initiative, you can provide for yourself and your family and keep what you have worked for.  (To my fiscally conservative friends: taxes are not the same as the governmental taking of private property that occurs in other countries.)

There’s the young woman who came from the Philippines, alone, because there were nursing opportunities here and built her life and grew a family here.  There’s the girl from the Bahamas who worked her a$$ off in college and graduate school in the US to receive a job offer and sponsorship from one of the country’s top accounting firms.

And it’s not exclusive to immigrants.  There are countless stories of US born citizens who have overcome their circumstances to achieve better lives here.  There’s the guy that came from a poor upbringing in the Lake of the Ozarks who learned about business as a blue-collar employee and then built his own a multi-million-dollar marina business.  There’s the kid who grew-up with a single mother often taking care of himself who committed himself to a demanding career and will retire decades earlier than many.

I’m not saying the journey is obstacle-free or that the challenges faced along the way are equal for everyone, they’re not.  But, I do believe that in the United States, it is still possible to overcome the status you are born into.  And, I think that, among other things, is something we should be proud of as a nation. 

American Pride

Speaking about my pride in this country out loud  feels a little strange.  Not because it is untrue but because it sometimes feels like American pride is associated with being a particular type of person.  Just the term “American pride” conjures the image of some hard-core Republican dude in Texas burning his Nikes to the tune of a Garth Brooks song.  And, I’m not that dude.  I live in Southern California,  am a bit left of center on many issues, and am more likely to burn my Nikes to the tune of The Lumineers. 

It can feel like given my social views and education, I’m not supposed to be proud to be an American.  You know, because as the author of this article (better called a rant) only the people who are proud to be American are “brain-dead.”  The author’s mechanism of expressing his opinion is more in-your-face in the article than in real life, but there does seem to be a negative stigma associated with having pride in the United States if you are (to generalize) liberal.  And I think that is a shame.

I don’t think that being proud to be an American should be an expression of your political views, economic status, or lifestyle.  I think it should be a point of connection even when we disagree on everything else.  I think that the fact that citizens can so vehemently express their distaste for the United States openly is one of the reasons they should be proud to be a citizen.  There are many countries where speaking out against the head-of-state not only can, but will result in criminal penalties or worse.  That’s not an exaggeration. 

I’m still thinking through this issue, but for now, I’ll leave it at this:  I think that Donald Trump, the head of government in the United States is a f***ing idiot and I do find it a bit embarrassing that I’m associated with him by virtue of being an American, but I am proud as f*** to live in a country where I can say that and sleep like a baby tonight.

I’m also thankful for our service members. Every. single. one. has made sacrifices – a more lucrative career, being present for major family events, and in the worst cases, their lives – so that the majority of the country doesn’t have to.

*I obviously like the eff word, more on that in this blog.