What are the great things that make us proud of America? For me, it's the broad sweeping concepts of Freedom & Liberty. In my lifetime, what has happened to further these ideals?
I'm 40 years old and I can recall just a few things which are tied to my sense of pride in my country. The first was our Bicentennial in 1976, but that wasn't an event in itself, it was more of an award for something that already happened. I'm also proud of our role in ending the cold war - when the wall came down that was an amazing feeling, but that wasn't on our soil. Other than that, I remember the first space shuttle launch as an historically significant achievement.
Now, of course I'm proud of my country every 4th of July, and it's great when, for example, the U.S. wins an Olympic gold medal, but will you be telling your grandchildren about Bruce Jenner and Kerri Strug, or Independence Day 2002? There are little things that happen every day which make me proud to be an American, but what makes me really proud to be an American?
Our nation has been the go-to guy for setting an example of freedom and human rights. We've always been the progressive ones, the people who "get it." How long has it been since we raised the bar to a new standard? The civil rights marches and granting of suffrage to women didn't happen in my lifetime. I can't think of any event or zeitgeist that reflects a turning point for America the way Obama's candidacy has.
So I wonder if Michelle could say, 'Look, our nation is more than 200 years old, and many great things have happened in that time, but I really can't point to any other moment in the last 40 years which carries as much historical significance as the candidacies of my husband and Mrs. Clinton.'
Can you? What makes you most proud of America? Compared to the historical events that provide a backdrop for your ideals, what has happened during your lifetime to further these ideals? [Emphasis as an Update]
I know how well nuance plays in Peoria and that defending this statement can be logically distilled down to "I'm not proud of America." To hell with idiots who can't grasp more than one layer of an argument.