Obligatory jingoistic July "I love my country" post
Since I'll probably be way too tired on the 4th (our Independence Day) to post. I work a lot of hours between now and then.
This country has a lot of problems, a great many corrupt men and women in power, a lot of apathetic citizens and politicians and, at the end of the day, too many real heroes to count. Soldiers, rescue workers, medical personnel, and ordinary men and women who can be counted on to come through in a pinch whether they know that about themselves or not.
When I was a child, growing up on an Army base, the 4th was a bigger deal than most civilians can probably understand. Virtually everyone on the base (and a huge proportion of civilians from the surrounding communities since this was before Closed Bases became the norm) would gather on the parade grounds, have picnics, listen to music (the MPs and the band members seemed like about the only people who DIDN'T have the day off), meet and hang out with friends, and then watch the fireworks at the end of the day. The sense of community was beyond moving. It was beautiful and it wasn't even about military camaraderie, just about shared ideals.
I have a lot of non-American friends on my f-list but I suspect that every last one of them loves the things that our Independence Day is about: freedom, sacrifice, truth, justice, and friendship between people no matter what their race, religion, and beliefs are. We're not perfect as a country or as a world, but we still (for the most part) recognize that and strive to improve. Politics and a perverted form of "religion" often get in the way (no matter what religion you're talking about, you're always going to find so-called members twisting the tenants into something they aren't) but, every once in awhile, we remember, join together, and celebrate the ideals that make this country (and so many others) a great place to live despite its problems.
Unfortunately, "proud to be a freedom-loving citizen of planet earth" doesn't fit nearly as well onto a bumpersticker/t-shirt or into the refrain of a song. Which means that, unless you're curious about the music we use to indoctrinate our kids, my non-American f-listers may not enjoy the following music!spam much at all. Still seems worth posting since I tend to sing a lot of these songs spontaneously around this time of year. The 4th of July is my second favorite holiday and I think the ideals translate well across culture and countries even though many of these songs don't.
yes, Heather, I'm posting the *gasp* socialist song. deal ;p
and my absolute favorite:
also, Harvard can kiss my ass (http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20076125-503544.html ). This is NOT just a holiday for right-wingers. People of ANY political persuasion can love their country and celebrate its ideals. Last time I checked, liberals and moderates love freedom too...
This country has a lot of problems, a great many corrupt men and women in power, a lot of apathetic citizens and politicians and, at the end of the day, too many real heroes to count. Soldiers, rescue workers, medical personnel, and ordinary men and women who can be counted on to come through in a pinch whether they know that about themselves or not.
When I was a child, growing up on an Army base, the 4th was a bigger deal than most civilians can probably understand. Virtually everyone on the base (and a huge proportion of civilians from the surrounding communities since this was before Closed Bases became the norm) would gather on the parade grounds, have picnics, listen to music (the MPs and the band members seemed like about the only people who DIDN'T have the day off), meet and hang out with friends, and then watch the fireworks at the end of the day. The sense of community was beyond moving. It was beautiful and it wasn't even about military camaraderie, just about shared ideals.
I have a lot of non-American friends on my f-list but I suspect that every last one of them loves the things that our Independence Day is about: freedom, sacrifice, truth, justice, and friendship between people no matter what their race, religion, and beliefs are. We're not perfect as a country or as a world, but we still (for the most part) recognize that and strive to improve. Politics and a perverted form of "religion" often get in the way (no matter what religion you're talking about, you're always going to find so-called members twisting the tenants into something they aren't) but, every once in awhile, we remember, join together, and celebrate the ideals that make this country (and so many others) a great place to live despite its problems.
Unfortunately, "proud to be a freedom-loving citizen of planet earth" doesn't fit nearly as well onto a bumpersticker/t-shirt or into the refrain of a song. Which means that, unless you're curious about the music we use to indoctrinate our kids, my non-American f-listers may not enjoy the following music!spam much at all. Still seems worth posting since I tend to sing a lot of these songs spontaneously around this time of year. The 4th of July is my second favorite holiday and I think the ideals translate well across culture and countries even though many of these songs don't.
Click to viewyes, Heather, I'm posting the *gasp* socialist song. deal ;p
and my absolute favorite:
also, Harvard can kiss my ass (http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20076125-503544.html ). This is NOT just a holiday for right-wingers. People of ANY political persuasion can love their country and celebrate its ideals. Last time I checked, liberals and moderates love freedom too...