The Potential for Greatness

A lot of people think I'm anti-American. Sometimes, I think I am too. But when it comes to why I find this country so exasperating, "anti-American" isn't quite the right word to describe my stand. Having grown up in a country that places very little value on cultivating individuality and even less value on open and honest dialogue (whether the topic be personal or national in scope), I sincerely respect and treasure those American values which contribute to a healthy, vibrant, and tolerant society. When it comes to ideals--with a few exceptions--I'm a true American patriot.

It's when America falls short of those ideals that I feel justified in criticism and ranting. And as of late, the country has fallen so short of these cherished principles that there's very little to feel good about.

In short: I hate America for what it is now, but love it for what it could be. I respect and admire politicians who make an active effort to bring this country closer to those ideals, and harbor naught but disdain for those who pay lip-service but do nothing. And I spit on those who drag America closer to the gutter through hypocrisy and lies.

A blogger at Daily Kos gave voice to this sentiment in a particularly emotional treatise, "A memorial to what we have lost" which has garnered enough attention to hit the 'recommended list' of Daily Kos diaries. Although it is written in highly partisan language, I think its a great piece that embodies that aforementioned patriotism- with-criticism attitude. The post highlights the timeless ideals of this country by quoting several famous presidential memorials in Washington D.C. It really hit the point home for me: this country's potential is being squandered, its ideals no longer anything but carvings in stone--and it is utterly unacceptable. I hope you'll take the time to read the whole post, but here are some of my favorite excerpts:

[O]ur ideals are set forth in stone all over our nation's capital.

There is something about engraving words in stone that gives them a timeless authority. To engrave words in stone in a public place in the heart of a nation's government speaks, in many ways, to values that run even deeper than its temporary codes of law, dress, and behavior. Examining what our people have, over time, decided is worthy of engraving in stone in our nation's monuments speaks volumes about our values. It is an uneffaceable tattoo of our deepest desires, hopes and dreams.

...
FDR on the distrubition of wealth:

The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little.

On war:

I have seen war on land and sea; I seen blood running from the wounded; I have seen the dead in the mud; I have seen cities destroyed; I have seen children starving; I have seen the agonies of mothers and wives. I hate war.

...
JFK on America as world's policeman:

What kind of peace do we seek? Not a Pax Americana enforced on the world by an American weapons of war. Not the peace of the grave or the security of the slave. I am talking about genuine peace, the kind of peace that makes life on earth worth living...not merely peace for Americans, but peace for all men and women; not merely peace in our time, but peace for all time.

How amazing it is that with all of these engraved reminders within plain view, the leaders of this country can't manage to do things a bit better. And I wonder how long it will be until I can be proud of what this country is, instead of merely what it could be.