How often, during a heated debate about politics do you hear someone come up with the quaint little phrase, “if you don’t like it here, then leave!”?
As a ridiculously patriotic American who actually tears up when the anthem is played, I literally cringe when I hear these words.
Americans live in a country of many ideals. There is such a wide range of political opinions in this country that it staggers the mind. But this is what makes our country such a wonderful place to live in. We can fight about how our government spends our tax dollars. We can fight about how they collect them. We can fight about our foreign policies.
But at the same time we can be proud to be Americans.
And when this flag flying patriot hears people talking bad about America or its policies, do I tell them to love American or Leave america?
NO. I tell them that if they dont love America, they should find the highest mountain, or pulpit, or soapbox they can find and scream it out to the world. Because THAT is what the flag that I fly stands for.
:Tornado Siren will now get down off her own pulpit and wish everyone a happy 4th of july:
One also often hears the old saying “My country, right or wrong”, without ever hearing the full text of Decatur’s toast:
“My country: When right to be kept right, when wrong to be put right, but my country, right or wrong.” (italics added)
When we find flaws in our country, it’s our responsibility to fix them because we love it. The “founding fathers” never thought that what they made was perfect and unimprovable, and would be disappointed in anyone who thought it could only get worse. That’s the meaning of the lack of the top on the pyramid on the one dollar bill; that the work of building the country was undone and would always remain undone. Simply saying “My country, right or wrong” implies the opposite, though.
Upon further research, the quote I gave above should have been attributed to Carl Schurz. He apparently was refining the sentiment in [url=http://www.inditer.com/clennan/tripoli.htm]Decatur’s original toast after winning the Battle of Tripoli:
“Our country! In her intercourse with foreign nations may she always be in the right; but our country, right or wrong!”
