So you're against patriotism? I'm Pro patriotism.

C Let me point out there are good reasons and have been good reasons to support America. And I very much do support America. However, I support America when America does good and I condemn it when we do evil. Blind support for the sake of being born here is completely wrong. I'm not saying supporting America is wrong, our civil liberties and system of government when not being stomped on by the Bush administration are beacons to the world. At least they were until much of the world adopted and surpassed many of our ideals. My country has been made better by the sacrifice of others, just as it has been tarnished by the murder of others. The fact is America has done good things and bad things and I tend to think the scales very much tip towards the good. I also think that I can help tip them towards the better. However, I do not and do not believe others should advocate supporting American policies for the sake of them being American policies. In an odd way, it is our support for what America should be rather than what America is which has made America into what it is. If you were to support what we have, for the sake that this is what we have, you would betray that striving which actually made America what it is. Or as Bruce Lee put it, if you're going to punch somebody in the face... aim for the back of the head. Supporting what America does for the sake the America does that is wrong, we've done some good things and some bad things and still we can do better. Telling kids that America is right because you were born here is nothing short of despicable. We can do better. You can argue in favor of Americanism or that America is a great country. And you'll find plenty of support here. But, the naive view that America is great because it is America or that any country is great because the advocate of that position was born there; nobody could or should support that idea. As Carl Schurz put it, "My Country! When right keep it right; when wrong, set it right!" -- I'm staking my claim here and making the country better, not because she can do no wrong. Rather because I can do better. You suggest that if you don't support this country 100% you should get out. That's wrong and stupid. The reason people should support this country is because unlike some others you have a real opportunity to make it into a country you can support. I want to live in a country where homosexuals are not lumped into a group of tolerated people with the KKK. I want to live in a country where rather than bigots like you who say that this is what you get and if you don't want it leave, I want to live in a country of freethinking idealism. I want a country which people support not because of some loyalty to the land your mother went into labor on, but because it is hard to look at what we stand for and not support America. David Hume wrote, that "The heights of popularity and patriotism are still the beaten road to power and tyranny; flattery to treachery; standing armies to arbitrary government; and the glory of God to the temporal interest of the clergy." -- I don't want to live in that country. I don't want a country which demands my respect, I want a country that earns my respect. The following rounds still remain in this debate: Round 3 Member Comments (2) Use this form to add your comments to this debate. HTML will not work in the field below. [+] Post a New Comment Your Comments: 2,000 Characters Remaining Watch this Debate: Send me an email when new comments and arguments are posted to this debate. Security CodeFor security purposes, please enter the following security code in the corresponding field.: I cannot see the security code.