# I Love What I Have as an American **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 17, 2006, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-love-what-i-have-as-an-american/369046 "2006-08-17T03:55:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![username\_taken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/c0e974/32.png) [@username\_taken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/username_taken)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2006, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-love-what-i-have-as-an-american/369046/1 "2006-08-17T03:55:49Z")
I enjoy my freedoms, as I suppose do my neighbors, who at times appear lazy. I do not support our war with Iraq, as it seems to have occurred for no reason that relates to the terror that occurred on September 11, 2001. But, I love that I can walk the streets with a placard on my body stating my disapproval of the war and have the right to do so. I love that I can make a choice as an adult to either push myself to succeed in whatever it is I want to succeed in, or manage happily in a niche with no one telling me or making me do otherwise. I love that I can practice any religion I wish with no legal retribution, or practice none and not be held accountable for that decision. I love that I can make a difference with the local political board by attending meetings and getting to know them. I love that I can politic with my neighbors to support me if I feel a political board has done me wrong. I love the freedoms I have as an American citizen and wonder how anyone could live without them. America has problems, but don’t think for a second that any American could not fix that problem if they chose, and agreed to work at it. I have written this after reading more of the Mid-East struggles. We Americans have it good, and yet I think a number of us do not appreciate this. I wish all the struggles of the world would stop and everyone would see themselves as just persons alive and stuck living. ---
**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2006, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-love-what-i-have-as-an-american/369046/2 "2006-08-17T04:05:10Z")
> [@username\_taken](#): > > America has problems, but don’t think for a second that any American could not fix that problem if they chose, and agreed to work at it. Uh, isn’t that a bad thing, then? If all the problems with America could be fixed if Americans so chose, and they don’t, that strikes me as kinda a bad thing. ---
**Author:** ![Stuffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f17d59/32.png) [@Stuffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stuffy)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2006, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-love-what-i-have-as-an-american/369046/3 "2006-08-17T04:11:53Z")
> [@Revenant Threshold](#): > > Uh, isn’t that a bad thing, then? If all the problems with America could be fixed if Americans so chose, and they don’t, that strikes me as kinda a bad thing. Not really we’re kind of an apathetic lock and easily ---
**Author:** ![username\_taken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/c0e974/32.png) [@username\_taken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/username_taken)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2006, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-love-what-i-have-as-an-american/369046/4 "2006-08-17T04:18:53Z")
I mean that we have a constitutional right to affect our well being and our interests. I DO NOT mean that we have the right, nor the power to fix all problem before us, nor which occure outside our borders. I feel I may not be able to answer your question **Revenant Threshold** as you wish. I hope only to brighten my fellow citizens to the fact that they have every mean available to affect political discoarse. I do not mean that we have control over what happens beyond our citizenry control. Please fill me in better - I’d love to know where this whole overwelmed and perplexed feeling that seems to exist in our world comes from. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2006, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-love-what-i-have-as-an-american/369046/5 "2006-08-17T12:39:29Z")
**username\_taken** –do you love the fact that if you try to do this where the President can _see_ you, you will be _jailed_ for violating a “free speech zone”? :dubious: :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2006, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-love-what-i-have-as-an-american/369046/6 "2006-08-17T18:12:31Z")
> [@Bosda Di'Chi of Tricor](#): > > **username\_taken** –do you love the fact that if you try to do this where the President can _see_ you, you will be _jailed_ for violating a “free speech zone”? > :dubious: :dubious: Exactly what I was going to say. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2006, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-love-what-i-have-as-an-american/369046/7 "2006-08-17T18:53:35Z")
> [@username\_taken](#): > > Please fill me in better - I’d love to know where this whole overwelmed and perplexed feeling that seems to exist in our world comes from. That really hard molded clear plastic packaging where the edges are all fused together and you need heavy duty scissors to cut through it and end up scratching the crap out of your hands in the process. Yep. Mostly that. IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2006, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-love-what-i-have-as-an-american/369046/8 "2006-08-17T19:02:12Z")
> [@Stuffy](#): > > Not really we’re kind of an apathetic lock and easily CONCENTRATE, MAN!! If we could all pull together problems could be solved?? I don’t think that’s possible for the United States or any large and diverse country. ---
**Author:** ![calm\_kiwi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@calm\_kiwi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/calm_kiwi)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2006, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-love-what-i-have-as-an-american/369046/9 "2006-08-18T11:41:37Z")
> [@username\_taken](#): > > I enjoy my freedoms, as I suppose do my neighbors, who at times appear lazy. ETC, ETC, ETC. We Americans(or others) have it good, and yet I think a number of us do not appreciate this. I wish all the struggles of the world would stop and everyone would see themselves as just persons alive and stuck living. I think they already do. Those stuck in floods or war or perpetual starvation strive more to live then any of us on easy-western-street could ever imagine. ---
**Author:** ![Scoundrel\_Swanswater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dfb087/32.png) [@Scoundrel\_Swanswater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scoundrel_Swanswater)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2006, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-love-what-i-have-as-an-american/369046/10 "2006-08-18T13:44:40Z")
I don’t have to work more than 40 hours a week. I am not in a constant risk of getting fired at the spot. I love that in my country you can get an abortion without being picketed. I love that if I get stopped by a police officer, I don’t immediately get a gun in my face and get treated like I am a dangerous, gun-wielding maniac. I love the fact that smuggling an ounce of weed doesn’t get you 20 years in prison in my country. In short : I am actually pretty glad that I don’t live in the States. You guys have a lot of freedom, but not a lot of security. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2006, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-love-what-i-have-as-an-american/369046/11 "2006-08-18T15:36:29Z")
> [@Scoundrel Swanswater](#): > > I don’t have to work more than 40 hours a week. > I am not in a constant risk of getting fired at the spot. > I love that in my country you can get an abortion without being picketed. > I love that if I get stopped by a police officer, I don’t immediately get a gun in my face and get treated like I am a dangerous, gun-wielding maniac. > I love the fact that smuggling an ounce of weed doesn’t get you 20 years in prison in my country. > > In short : I am actually pretty glad that I don’t live in the States. > You guys have a lot of freedom, but not a lot of security. I could dispute every assertion you’ve just made point by point because they are pattently false but I won’t. Just want to say for the record, I’m a Canadian living in the US and I’m possibly more sensitive to this sort of stuff than someone born here. Yet, I’ve experienced none of this. Ever. Nor do I know anyone that has. So I have to ask; Does it make you feel better (superior?) to hate America? ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2006, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-love-what-i-have-as-an-american/369046/12 "2006-08-18T15:58:52Z")
> [@Scoundrel Swanswater](#): > > I love that in my country you can get an abortion without being picketed. So people who object to abortion are not free to speak out about it? ---
**Author:** ![Scoundrel\_Swanswater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dfb087/32.png) [@Scoundrel\_Swanswater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scoundrel_Swanswater)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2006, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-love-what-i-have-as-an-american/369046/13 "2006-08-18T16:04:02Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > I could dispute every assertion you’ve just made point by point because they are pattently false but I won’t. > > Just want to say for the record, I’m a Canadian living in the US and I’m possibly more sensitive to this sort of stuff than someone born here. Yet, I’ve experienced none of this. Ever. Nor do I know anyone that has. > > So I have to ask; Does it make you feel better (superior?) to hate America? I don’t hate America. :rolleyes: Why does criticism always automatically make you a hater? I have lost a lot of colleagues in the last few years, who got fired from one day to the next, so I think there is some truth in here, isn’t there? If not, please do dispute it. Fighting ignorance, and all that, remember? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2006, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-love-what-i-have-as-an-american/369046/14 "2006-08-18T16:04:13Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > So I have to ask; Does it make you feel better (superior?) to hate America? For heaven’s sake, where did he say he hated America? Sheesh. Whatever, you’re (really we’re, because I’m an American, too) all lucky to be citizens of developed, stable democracies. Why the competition? ---
**Author:** ![Scoundrel\_Swanswater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dfb087/32.png) [@Scoundrel\_Swanswater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scoundrel_Swanswater)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2006, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-love-what-i-have-as-an-american/369046/15 "2006-08-18T16:06:17Z")
> [@gigi](#): > > So people who object to abortion are not free to speak out about it? No, that is not what I mean. I mean that we don’t have a big pro-life movement here. Yes, we do have freedom of speech. I think we have probably the most freedom of speech of anywhere in the world. But we also have : absurd high taxes, lots of traffic congestion, a crappy government and bad weather 10 months a year. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2006, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-love-what-i-have-as-an-american/369046/16 "2006-08-18T16:30:57Z")
> [@Scoundrel Swanswater](#): > > I don’t hate America. :rolleyes: > Why does criticism always automatically make you a hater? Because you lack of knowledge of America and life here seems patently superficial. Or at least your post gives that impression. There is nothing perfect about America. It’s decidedly imperfect. But no more or less so than any other western style democratic nation. And FYI, “Why do you hate America?” is a running gag on these boards. It’s almost never meant seriously or said with a straight face. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2006, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-love-what-i-have-as-an-american/369046/17 "2006-08-18T16:33:41Z")
:smack: > [@QuickSilver](#): > > Because your knowledge of America and life here seems patently superficial. Or at least your post gives that impression. ---
**Author:** ![Scoundrel\_Swanswater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dfb087/32.png) [@Scoundrel\_Swanswater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scoundrel_Swanswater)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2006, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-love-what-i-have-as-an-american/369046/18 "2006-08-18T16:35:44Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > Because you lack of knowledge of America and life here seems patently superficial. Or at least your post gives that impression. > > There is nothing perfect about America. It’s decidedly imperfect. But no more or less so than any other western style democratic nation. > > And FYI, “Why do you hate America?” is a running gag on these boards. It’s almost never meant seriously or said with a straight face. 🙂 Yeah, sorry about overreacting about that, I had seen the “Why do you hate America”-line before. :smack: But what about : > [@QuickSilver](#): > > I could dispute every assertion you’ve just made point by point because they are pattently false but I won’t. Put your money where your mouth is and dispute my assertions. Hey, I will be the first one to admit I am wrong if I am. This is just my perception of the United States of America, based on things I have seen and experienced. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2006, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-love-what-i-have-as-an-american/369046/19 "2006-08-18T16:45:02Z")
> [@Scoundrel Swanswater](#): > > I don’t have to work more than 40 hours a week. Neither do I. I work 35. Some of them from home if/when that makes sense. My tech guys often work from home. > [@Scoundrel Swanswater](#): > > I am not in a constant risk of getting fired at the spot. Neither am I. But I don’t even know what you mean by this. If you stop doing your work, they will continue to pay you? Must be nice. Maybe I should move to the Netherlands myself. > [@Scoundrel Swanswater](#): > > I love that in my country you can get an abortion without being picketed. So happens, most clinics are not picketed. > [@Scoundrel Swanswater](#): > > I love that if I get stopped by a police officer, I don’t immediately get a gun in my face and get treated like I am a dangerous, gun-wielding maniac. I tend to drive fast and the penalty is that I sometimes get stopped for speeding. I have never been threatened or mistreated by a police officer. They have always been very courteous and professional with me. > [@Scoundrel Swanswater](#): > > I love the fact that smuggling an ounce of weed doesn’t get you 20 years in prison in my country. I personally know someone who was fined for posession of a serious amount of weed. Never served 20 years. Never even served a day. > [@Scoundrel Swanswater](#): > > In short : I am actually pretty glad that I don’t live in the States. > You guys have a lot of freedom, but not a lot of security. On the contrary. We have Homeland Security. I know I feel much safer. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2006, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-love-what-i-have-as-an-american/369046/20 "2006-08-18T16:59:10Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > Neither do I. I work 35. Some of them from home if/when that makes sense. My tech guys often work from home. He’s saying that the right to fire someone on the spot for no reason does not exist in Holland or most of Europe for that matter. I believe however that in the US this is federal law and is something the States themselves mandate. Some states have fire at will laws some don’t IIRC. So the point isn’t as valid as **Scoundrel Swanswater** thinks it was. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-love-what-i-have-as-an-american/369046.md?page=2)