I’m sitting here watching the proceedings of the NBA All-Star Game held at New Orleans. The Star-spangled Banner was performed by trumpeteer Christian Scott. It’s amazing, but the anthem never fails to move me, even when performed without words. I suppose you could say I’m in love with the United States of America, but the truth is that I’m in love with the idea of America, rather than America herself.
A country where anyone has the chance to be someone. Where everyone has a voice that is heard, however grating the message may be.
As I walked the streets of San Francisco this morning, the reality that America is rather divorced from her original ideals hits me. The huge dome of City Hall looked very impressive with its gilded edges and ornamentation. What you do not see in the photo are the homeless people scattered around its grounds.
The currentUnited States administration has done, in my own opinion, a horrible job of keeping the faith. Bush’s new $3 trillion budget’s main provisions go to the Department of Homeland Security. I’ve been in and out of the United States many, many times, but in recent years there’s been a tangible fear of walking through her immigration counters. It’s like you’ll never know when Homeland Security’s hyperactive index finger would point your way.
America has grown paranoid. Voices, even that of the majority, have been silenced. Newspapers and blogs write about how ridiculous certain bills are, but congress passes them anyway. I’m only a visitor to this country and I’ve seen a fair number of veterans homeless on the streets, but Bill O’Reilly , who actually lives in America, denies their existence. Everything is upside down, America.
Sometimes people are only as good as you believe them to be. When you stop believing in people, there is no incentive to live up to your expectations. There’d be no ideals to reach for.
Like you, I’m infatuated with the ideals espoused by this country, although I think there is also a deep-seated level of skepticism and desire for things to change.
I love the patriotism of the American people, the rhetoric of their politicians, the desires they are not afraid to openly express - for change, for hope.
But still, something about Singapore draws my loyalties back there. It’s home to me. This place can never be.
Home is where the heart is. I have been living in the US for 26 years now & I have to say I love this country, warts & all, a transplanted patriot. I would never fit into the Singapore society after tasting the freedoms here. America is not perfect, its true that there are alot of things wrong here but there are also a lot of good in this country. Where else in the world can you find all the nationalities of the world in this one country. The USA is truly the United Nations imho.
America is paranoid…
I’ve changed as a person. I still would rather be here in America than anywhere else, but I would say that being elsewhere helped me see that America is not as great as I think most Americans feel. The ideas it was founded under were great, but those ideas lost their true foundation. I used to care much more about politics, but now I understand that the condition of my country does not have to free or restrict who I am or can become. I feel so much more independent the more I look to God. America is still a great place, but it really could be much much greater, and I plan on doing something about that.