Cracklin' Rose

Okay so I'm not a FLAG WAVER. I don't wear sweaters or shirts that depict the American flag. Usually. Unless they're really cute. BUT, I do believe in my country and in the inate goodness of its people. Most of them. Except my neighbor's children, but that's another post.

It started out innocently enough, my ire. I traveled over to one of my favorite blogs to see what was up with this woman. Normally I find her observations amusing and spot on, but this one struck me as off and a tad unfair. In a nutshell, and a tongue-in-cheek tone, she asked if we knew what our international calling number was, how everyone outside the states knew theirs, and how Americans didn't seem to see the need to know theirs assuming that everyone else did. (It's 001 if you're interested.) Fine, probably true enough, but honestly, when was the last time you called outside your state, let alone outside your country? When was the last time you had to call your home country from say... South Africa? Would you say our not knowing our international dialing code was yet another way Americans felt themselves superior to the rest of the world??

Me neither. But there were several people who took that as an opening to say with gusto, that YES! They were ashamed of our country, of our arrogance, of our need to be number 1 (that'd be 001, actually!). We're a selfish country. We're fat (well, that one I'll give them. Damn you, McDonalds! Daaaaaaaamn youuuuuuuu!!!), we're lazy, we're stingy, we wear Stetsons, talk too loudly, and have no manners when visiting European churches (and why should we?? They're not our churches afterall.) Well, here's my point. If you find living here so intolerable, then do what another one of my favorite bloggers at Greener Pastures did and move your ass on out of here. There are plenty of illegal and legal immigrants who would love the job, the house, the opportunities that living here as a citizen affords you. Or, even better, AFFECT CHANGE. Join a non-profit organization, write letters, picket, nurse in public in front of The Entire Cast of The View. DO SOMETHING, don't just sit and bitch. Jebus!!!

Am I saying that America is the BEST? No. That would be arrogant. But I am saying that given the choices, America is a pretty damn good option and that it irritates me to no end to hear/read people talking about their shame just to fit in with the cool kids. (Even if it is their RIGHT to do so. See what I did there??)

Now, in case you've figured out who I was talking about earlier with her question, let it be known that I don't blame her for our responses. I'm not sure the tone of her question as I read it was fair, but she is not to blame for the current state of my irkedness.

Here endeth the soapbox lecture.,