Post #113995 by Bamboo Dude on Sun, Sep 12, 2004 1:37 AM

On 2004-09-11 15:03, Tiki_Bong wrote:
As a international mutt of Serbian decent, boy was I was proud when America was bombing Serbia where I have many relatives.

My great aunt living there is on kidney dialysis, but could not keep it up due to lack of electricity. Many of my relatives were forced to live through extreme hardship as a result. They had nothing to due with that country's dictatorship.

I think it's great that America is here to tell the World how it should be living, based on our own great sucess, as We've been doing that for many decades.

Unfortunately, the innocent citizen's of our little "student contries" do not understand our great wisdom as "teacher country". They do not seem to recognize our fine clothes...

[ Edited by: Tiki_Bong on 2004-09-11 15:04 ]

Aloha Bong! I have to say that there is much truth in what you speak; sometimes, I find myself embarrassed by the pompous, self-righteous attitudes that Americans tend to project to the rest of the world. Try as we may, we are just as human as any of the people living on earth. Despite all the good we have done in the world, we will still be criticised for our shortcommings. When we look for support from those whose freedom was bought with the blood of our soldiers at Normandy, and are denied, we are expected to "understand". We allow immigrants to come to our country, and we give them help to start their own businesses, while our own homeless wander the streets.

We mourn our tragedy deeply, though it marks but a single day, and spectate at the slaughter of hundreds of thousands in Rwanda over months of civil war, and cavalierly comment as we flip through the couple hundred cable channels looking for more appealing entertainment. Yes, there are things I am not too proud of in America.

Despite these shortcommings, I am PROUD to be in the USA; PROUD to be a US citizen; PROUD of the men and women who have died for this country; and am PROUD of the citizens who died three years ago. PROUD that one airplane never reached its' target because of the actions of a few brave citizens. PROUD that we have all come together from a wide spectrum of the human experience to honor the great sacrifices made in New York city on September 11, 2001. Whether or not we 'deserved it' because of our indifference to human suffering in the rest of the world, will have to be debated in another place and time.

It is my PRIDE that kept me from posting a response during the 24 hours that will always be, for most US citizens, a day of remembrance for those who paid the ultimate price to make a difference on that fateful day. I wish that, in the least, we would honor our countrymen by saving the discussions of our shortcommings for another day.

Today is now 9/12, and I am saddened by the story you share, Bong. There is so much that needs to change, within our borders, and without. Perhaps the real lesson of 9-11 is to get back to the true meaning of "United We Stand".

[ Edited by: Bamboo Dude on 2004-09-12 01:39 ]