I started to title this "Proud to be a Human" in response to diaries that are alternately pumping or despairing of being "Americans". But being "proud" to be human seems like a pretty low aspiration, seeing as I don't remember choosing. Same as being an American.
And that's the point: no matter what we were taught in school about The United States of America, all of that history was created by human beings. And let me be the (not) first to tell you - humans do crazy, hurtful things. Americans are no different in that regard.
But there is one difference...
I travel a lot in places where you don't hear too many American accents. Most people are very friendly toward me and I'm constantly amazed at the number of people from other places who admire the United States. But there are an occasional few who want me to defend every awful thing my home country has ever done - and there are many examples, several of which are described in a recommended diary today. Over time I've learned how to truthfully and compassionately respond to these critics:
It's not "Americans" who've done these things in the world that upset so many people, it's humans. Human beings have been torturing themselves and the rest of the planet since those apes threw bones at the monolith. And as far as America is concerned, we're a nation of the families of those who've come from other countries to make a better life, and in so doing have often screwed over their previous home countries.
It's the people of the world, enjoying a nation they created for the purpose of freedom (mostly the freedom to get rich), screwing over the old countries in an often naive and earnest way... but screwing them over nonetheless.
I think we should spend less time trying to be better Americans, which is a moving target anyway (what did it mean to be a good American during the period of manifest destiny, for example?), and more time trying to be better human beings.
Americans don't torture - human beings do.