It's something you have to swallow

Jan 24, 2008 00:54

I don't understand this "have pride in _______." Why should I have pride in the fact that I'm American, or that I'm female, or that I'm caucasian? These are things I couldn't help. There was nothing I could do about being born in Ohio, or having two X chromosomes, or having a certain amount of melanin in my skin. I didn't do anything to achieve ( Read more... )

thinking too much, i'm not nice i'm just right, lookit: i posted some pictures, lookit: i made art, +rants

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Comments 8

soujiokita January 24 2008, 11:20:25 UTC
I'm sure they meant well, but whoever started the "I'm proud to be an American" is a little off... I don't think pride is the right word, but I don't think it should be overlooked entirely. Maybe "I'm happy to be an American" or "I'm lucky to be an American" though, not so much anymore... European, maybe

Though, I guess for some people "pride" can count if they got here from someplace worse...

I don't know. I agree with you on all those things, but I also don't think they should be ignored on the list of who a person is. I think having pride in one's heritage or gender or sexual orientation is a little different than having pride in a person achievemnent... but that could just be me.

i try to avoid these sorts of things on your livejournal because you're too damn smart for me, but what can i say? i was in the mood?

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spiderstars January 24 2008, 14:45:34 UTC
On top of the term "American" being a complete misnomer, considering America is two whole continents and not one country. Or Canadian. Everyone likes Canada. They're relatively inoffensive.

Oh no, the whole inquiry I was making, in a sense, was that pride has to be one of the most poorly-defined words. How do you think of the definitions differently?

I don't necessarily think I'm too damn smart for you. Our inclinations lie in different directions (mine are more philosophical, yours historical) but I don't think that truly should ever stop you from commenting if you so desire. Thanks!

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soujiokita January 25 2008, 00:02:15 UTC
Oh no, the whole inquiry I was making, in a sense, was that pride has to be one of the most poorly-defined words. How do you think of the definitions differently?

Oh, God... we had this discussion in friggin' AP Lit when we were talking about Pride & Prejudice... because duh! it meant something different back then... and then he made us define it in our own terms and ugggggh.

And this is a little random, but having pride in being an American could come from the fact that, at one point, there was no America and it had to be won, in a way, and created from The Articles of Crapfederation Confederation... and pride in participating in a democracy--in knowning your vote sort of counts as much as Senator Clinton's or President Reagan's or a Kennedy's... in knowing that you're a part of something that produces sometimes great results... I think, for made-in-America Americans, "pride" is coming more from history and participation than personal achievement ( ... )

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spiderstars January 25 2008, 00:47:46 UTC
I ... may ask semi-intelligent questions at a later date. Right now I need to pass out.

What you typed makes sense, though. I ... have more questions but ... brain. Meltdown. Ouch.

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aeirol January 24 2008, 17:27:12 UTC
You misspelled the cover, it should be "boritude" not
"solitude". :)

Sometimes those are the only things people feel they can take pride in. And it makes sense, considering the shame that was once associated with those traits, that there would be a sort of counter movement to that shame, with pride. I understand what you're saying, but personally I take pride in being a woman because I think men can be such idiots. ;)

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spiderstars January 24 2008, 19:33:22 UTC
Or how about shoot-myself-in-the-face-itude?

I just don't think it's valid to take pride in something you didn't earn/accomplish on your own.

As for pride in being a woman, you're entitled to that, but at the same time I hate how I'm supposed to have affinity for anyone with a uterus just because I, too, have a uterus. Women can still be petty, ignorant bitches in the same way men can be chauvinist pigs. However, I don't like making generalizations "I'm proud I'm a woman because men are stupid." People can be idiots; it spans both genders. I prefer more the idea "I am proud I'm intelligent because those people, who happen to have pensises, are morons."

... Actually, really, I just wanted the chance to type the names of a variety of sexual organs.

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aeirol January 25 2008, 12:09:34 UTC
That works too.

Point duly noted, and taken in for consideration. You should be in my People/Culture/Societies class, we talk about genitalia all the time! :D Right now we're on the subject of female genital mutilation. I love this professor, she's like God, Dogma style, with s British accent. (Professor Toulson)

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lilian_cho January 25 2008, 11:35:46 UTC
The first cover is v. appropriate! =D

BTW, posted a snippet of our Bible convo here. Hope you don't mind ^^;;

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