Thread by @Neoavatara

Here is my problem with the entire idea of not being proud to be an American:

If you aren't proud of your country...why should you fight for it?

We have had so many worse situations in our country during our history: Revolution, Secession, Civil War, Reconstruction, Sedition Act, Japanese internment, Jim Crow, etc, etc...

...proud, valiant people FOUGHT to help change those things, because they believed in AMERICA.

Saying you aren't proud to be an American is exactly the same as saying 'Person X is not my President!'

Its more of a temper tantrum than a useful reaction to difficult times.

First and foremost, if you think any single politician or party defines what this country means...well, then you have a problem.

We've had some HORRIBLE Presidents. Some horrible politicians. Whether or not Trump is among them doesn't matter. People fought for their rights.

Now, if you aren't proud of this President, or that President, fine. That is fair.

If you think their policies are horrid...be embarrassed about that.

If you think the govt is abusing its power, speak up and say so.

During the Civil War, the sacrifices made were incredible. They could have just let the country dissolve...the North was rich, and prospering, and lets be honest...though the war was about slavery, bigotry was rampant even still. Why did they fight?

The siege of Vicksburg ended 155 years ago today. 4,800 Union troops and 33,000 Confederate troops (!) died in that long fight.

Gettysburg ended 155 years ago yesterday.

23,000 Union troops and 23,000 Confederate troops died in that fight...in THREE DAYS.

And this is bipartisan. Used to piss me off when people said "Obama is not my President!"

Yeah...he was your President. That was an infantile response then, and this is an infantile response now.

Hate polices. Hate specific politicians. But the greatness of America is its ability to redirect, and to adjust for past mistakes. That is what makes us great. And yes, we will get it wrong again, I am sure. But the attempt is what makes America unique.

I don't blame Progressives for being mad. They believe in certain things, and Trump is undermining those beliefs.

Conservatives have profound beliefs that Obama violated as well (and many liberals are unable to fathom that). But still...the nation persists.

Maybe this is a useless rant. Probably is. But it bothers me that we can't be proud of a nation that allows us to make mistakes, and try to fix them, without dissolving.

Many other nations can't say the same, that have faced the same kind of adversity.