USA

Memorial Day weekend offers the opportunity to display some of the tangled web of thoughts and feelings I have regarding the land of the free and the brave. Here are a few of them:

1. I consider myself a citizen of the world more than a citizen of America.


2. When I say "we" in this list, I'm identifying myself as one of the Americans.


3. I'm not very patriotic.


4. I got misty-eyed when visiting the Statue of Liberty.


5. I'm often embarrassed when seeing Americans in other parts of the world.


6. I'm glad I have an American passport.


7. I like having ice in my drinks.


8. At the USA - England soccer match I went to, I was embarrassed that the only crowd chant we had was U-S-A, U-S-A.


9. I think baseball is way better than cricket.


10. I don't believe that God likes us more than other nations.


11. I'm rather cynical and pessimistic about the motivations of most people in federal government.


12. I found new respect for our nation's governmental system reading Founding Brothers.


13. Capitalism is the worst form of government-sponsored economic systems--except for all the others.


14. I'm embarrassed that MTV is the most widely watched network in the world and that Baywatch is the most widely watched TV show in the world.


15. I fear that we're getting worse at public education rather than better.


16. Our system of elections is messed up.


17. I have respect for soldiers who laid down their lives for our country.


18. The mighty American military does not make me feel proud or safe.


19. I wish we as a nation could bless those who curse us.


20. Freedom of speech is a very good (and important) thing.

Happy Memorial Day!