Ashamed
“I’m ashamed for my country.” – Oliver Stone
Me too Oliver, but for probably much different reasons from you.
I’m ashamed that my country has become a Balkanized collection of Hyphenated-Americans demanding special treatment because of their pre hyphened identities. We’ve become a collection of nations within a nation unable to present a united One-America front to people who wish for our destruction. People want to re-create here the failed societies they fled.
I’m ashamed that the citizenry of the greatest representative republic in the history of the world may be so shallow in thought that an entire election could turn on the sexual perversion of a single member of Congress. Possibly putting in charge of our country people who resort to such a political tactic because they lack the ideas and intellect required to solve our nation’s problems.
I’m ashamed that someone such as you would say that our President has set the country back 10 years, but lack the courage to make a similar comment about the people who wish to turn us and the rest of the world back to the 7th century.
I’m ashamed that one of my country’s major political parties would run a political ad about promises broken to Veterans and be as ignorant of our Military as to use in the ad a picture of a Soldier from another country. I can’t think of when I’ve been more ashamed of and insulted by a political party. These people tell us they would do it better, but always fail to tell us what it is. Maybe they intend to out source our defense since they chose the picture of a Canadian Soldier for their ad.
I’m ashamed Oliver when people with the means to help solve problems, such as you, point out all of the world’s tribulations, blame them on others, then insist that someone else solve them. You make millions of dollars and point your finger at poverty and disease asking why someone else hasn’t fixed that. I suppose when you point out a problem for us, you’ve fulfilled your societal obligations and can feel good then to return to self-worship.
I’m ashamed that people who claim to be patriotic citizens of the United States of America will stand embracing a troll like Hugo Chavez while calling our President a terrorist.
I’m ashamed that I must spend hours reading dozens of versions of the same story in order to collect most of the pertinent facts. All because there are no media sources I can trust to give me the complete picture. Reading or listening to the news nowadays is like reading a 9th grade term paper. The writer or speaker tosses out everything except the one fact that supports his or her position. I’m ashamed that too many of my fellow citizens accept your words or the words of those who fail to report the whole story to them as the complete truth.
I’m ashamed when our system and our people elect a government and then watch helplessly as the minority party spends every waking hour ensuring that the majority party fails while never considering the impact their idiocy has on common every day people. Neither the political persuasion of the parties, the needs of our country nor the desires of our people determine what they do, only their minority or majority status does. I expect it’ll take a catastrophic event of proportions most of us can’t comprehend to change that.
I’m ashamed that we’ve killed millions of babies in our country and call it freedom of choice.
I’m ashamed because we’ve lost common courtesy and respect in our country and we are bringing up an entire generation to act that way. When is the last time you read a news article referring to the President as something other than a last name, or practically anyone else who has earned a title for that matter? We wouldn’t call our family doctor by his or her last name, but it’s OK for our President, Congressman, or whomever. That’s how our children are learning to show courtesy and respect. When you’re child mentions Jones, you may have to clarify whether it’s the school principal, your elderly neighbor or one of his buddies.
I’m ashamed that during a time when people wish our destruction and are actively trying to fulfill their wishes, when dangerous regimes are actively pursuing nuclear weapons, when American Soldiers are fighting and dying, when inept politicians have failed for decades to free us from dependence on foreign energy sources, when pork barrel politics are bankrupting our country, when… that the leading news story on every 24 hour news source is about a homosexual Congressman who may or may not have cyber-diddled a homosexual page and whether or not that episode will decide who gets to lead our country. Frankly, Oliver, I found more substance in student council elections during my brief one-year tour in a public school.
Ashamed Oliver? Somewhat.
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Matthew 12:25
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Copyright © 2006 J.D. Pendry
October 9th, 2006 at 12:08 am
Excellent, Sgt Major. For me, I feel a bit more worried than ashamed for the future we are leaving for our grandchildren today.
As Theodore Roosevelt said long ago, “The one absolute certain way of bringing this nation to ruin would be to permit it to become a tangle of squabbling nationalities.”
Sadly, his words are ringing truthful today.
October 13th, 2006 at 7:55 pm
When I am in a situation that I want to change, I look in the mirror first. When it is time to judge someone, I judge myself first, not others.
I am ashamed that we have become comfortable with nonstop campaign marketing, rather than honest debate.
I am ashamed that we even consider the use of torture.
I am ashamed that we do not see fit to help the least amoung us, when we give tax breaks to wealthy corporations.
I am ashamed that our President is so inept that he cannot function outside of scripted appearances with a handpicked audience.
I am ashamed that we are so frightened by the prospect of being attacked that we are compromising our freedoms.
Gentlemen, we can agree on one thing, this country has a lot to be ashamed of. I am proud of my country and its people, but in times like these, we need to be willing to look in the mirror and be honest about what we’re doing to ourselves and others. We have lost more soldiers in Iraq/Afghanistan than civilians in 9/11. We are (at least partially) responsible for the deaths of more Iraqi civilians than Saddam.
I am ashamed that we cannot have a rational discussion about this among our elected leadership.