America

by: Forrest

Perhaps I should begin by admitting to the fact that I fully benefit from all of the good things America has to offer its citizens (especially its white citizens). I have received a quality education, a drivers license, health benefits, food stamps, police protection, etc. etc. I will not deny that there are some awesome things about this country, and that I am glad to live it. It is a place where people can believe pretty much whatever they want to. I can go to my little Quaker church as much as I want with no fear of being arrested. I can criticize the government with no fear of losing my head. Since I am a white male from a comfortable family, I can be pretty much whatever I want to be in this country.

However, I cannot and will not claim that America is a country without fault, or that it is better than other countries, or even that it is better than most. There is no arguing the fact that America is the dominant superpower in today's world, both economically and militarily. What is arguable, is whether or not that is a positive thing. Our concept of Manifest Destiny has allowed us to justify our current status of world domination, but the truth is, we are no better than anybody else.

There are two ways of being an American. You can be patriotic, or you can be nationalistic. Patriotism is the love of one's country and the people in it. Nationalism is the concept that one's own country is the best in the world and that everyone else should either bow to it, join it, or get out of the way. I am a patriot. I am not a nationalist. Nationalism has been the cause of way too much bloodshed to be a good thing. This blog is about challenging it.

America

by: Jenny

I have always been full of spirit towards things. In high school, I was always the one that dressed way over-the-top during "spirit week". I was the girl that would paint her face and wear green, black and silver from head to toe to cheer on our football team. I played volleyball, basketball and ran track, and my twin sister was a cheerleader; so school spirit was something I could not escape (nor did I want to).

I was so spirited that during my senior class awards, I received the "Most School Spirit" award. No surprise there; Although I must admit I would have liked to have received "Most Athletic" or "Most Likely to Succeed." However, "spirit" it was, and I was content.

That same spirit carried from my days as a high-schooler into my college life. I love to invest in my school and its activities and to support them. I love to wear the GFU colors, logo, and name proudly, and believe that EVERYONE should be proud of where they are.

Granted, not everyone is; which saddens me. Why not be proud of something that has such a big impact on your life? Sure, school may not be for everyone, but you may as well enjoy it while you're there, right?

This mindset of being spirited in everything I do started when I was little. I grew up with the idea that America was the best place to be and that I was extremely fortunate to be here. I love that we are a free country and I love that we are granted so many freedoms. I am extremely proud to be an American. I know that many people get the impression that we are "fat, lazy, and materialistic," which may be the case for some, but I am so proud and blessed to be here.

I realize that there are a lot of bad things in America; for example, we are a country that is pressed for time. Drive-thrus are popular and if we have to wait more than a few minutes we get angry. We run from thing to thing, and often forget to stop and enjoy the scenery. We have a government that is often ridiculed or unsupported (I am NOT going to post government/politically-related posts in this blog if I can help it. I do not know enough about these areas to take on a knowledgeable standpoint and therefore will not comment).

But there are also so many good things in America: We are a strong country. We have so many advantages and blessings that many countries do not have. We are a country that so many are willing to defend. We are a country of diversity and we are a country that strives to be the best and the strongest.

We are America. And I am an American.