Very little irritates me more in this day and age than the lack of patriotism and disregard for the historical achievement of the United States of America. Recently, a millennial dared to post this meme:
My husband Michael responded as only he could...and it was brilliant....His field of study is history. It is the most eloquent response to this meme that I have ever read.... Make it go viral.... The young people of America were not taught proper history... They need to understand....
Michael said:
A friend of mine posted this, saying we don’t need to revert to a time or mindset that is no longer relevant. Instead we need to look forward. The problem with the type of statement listed below is that it is only highlighting the negative aspects of our nation’s past. There are plenty of areas of scientific and social achievement that we can look back on and be proud of. Just using their examples, how about we remember when we declared our independence from the tyranny of Great Britain because of the unfair taxes imposed on the colonies? Or how about the fact that the Salem Witch Trials were responsible for only 20 deaths, 5 of which were in prison? How about the fact that we managed to eradicate slavery in this country and the amazing achievements of Civil Rights leaders in promoting the ideals of equality? Is there still unequal treatment in this country? Sure, but there probably is in every country of the world, with every race. Nobody is perfect!! Yes, the Holocaust was horrendous, but at the time our nation was struggling to remain neutral militarily while simultaneously supporting those that opposed these acts of atrocity. The atomic bombing of Japan was a necessary evil to bring an end to the fighting of World War II. Had the bombs not been used, it is estimated that World War II would have continued for several more months, possibly another year or two, resulting in hundreds of thousands up to millions more deaths, both American and Japanese. Vietnam, like all wars, was awful, but any false pretenses would have been the brain child of a small number of individuals, not an act indicative of America as a whole. The war in Iraq is similar. A small number of people felt this was the correct course of action to rid the world of a terrible dictator. Did the ends justify the means, I don’t know, but this should not be used as an example of why America was/is bad. America, since its inception, has been the destination of millions seeking a new and better life. We have been a beacon of freedom and example of what could be achieved when we try. There is a reason why people did and continue to work for the “American Dream.” We need to remember and be proud of what we have achieved and not just condemn the flaws that are inherent in every society.
Mike goes on to say:
We need a resurgence of what made our country great to begin with, but have somehow lost. I am afraid, as things currently stand, I cannot agree with the statement that our Nation's greatest days are ahead of us. Our society once placed emphasis on self determination and an inward drive to better ourselves. That was the key to the American dream. Instead of emphasizing this self motivation, we seem to have created an environment of intolerance and egocentrism. In the current political climate, many try to claim that this is indigenous to Trump supporters, but these characteristics exist among all political groups. It is sad to think that many of the freedoms that our ancestors fought so hard for are slowly being eroded, until we are left with a mere shell of its former glory. Liberals seem to basically be fighting for what they perceive to be their right to not have anything offensive said to/about them, while at the same time, forcing a drastic curtailment of the right of freedom of speech on conservatives! When I was a small child, we were taught the saying,"sticks and stones may break my bones,but words can never hurt me." This is no longer allowed to hold true. Violent protests are breaking out at rallies where the individuals only crime is a differing opinion from their attacker. Are we truly progressing forward when our basic liberties are disappearing? Is it right for someone to be racist or bigoted toward others? Of course not, but do we have a right to force our opinions onto them in turn?!? I do believe that our greatest days could be ahead of us, but we will have to stop breeding hatred and contempt because we don't all think and feel the same. We cannot create a great society by forcing everyone to conform to one set of standards. That isn't freedom, it's tyranny.
God bless my husband, both for putting up with me and for being a true American patriot. God bless our troops who serve our nation in spite of their peers disrespecting our country's pride...and God bless America...May this country still be free when my children's children play...
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