Loyalty

Well I guess when you don't have any real issues you can always revert to stirring up some racism.

We see the Alabama GOP and one of its child abusers decide to attack a Muslim representative from a different state for her disloyalty to Israel.

Now Israel is an ally and you may or may not agree with all its policies, but as Americans we don't have any obligation to be loyal to it.

In fact the oath of office they took prohibits allegiance to foreign powers.

Now, like I said, you may disagree about someone's views on the situation in Israel and the disputed territories, but I know that even in Israel they have various viewpoints.

So disloyal?

Remember what country you are part of.

The Confederacy lost.

Proud Americans

What does it mean to be proud to be an American?

If you were simply born here its more a matter of chance than anything else.

Yes someone in your past took the risk of coming here but how does that justify any sense of accomplishment by you.

Clearly, some have served this country and risked their lives in the military. A few others have done things that are certainly a credit to themselves and the country in some way.

But the vast majority of the people who are proud were simply been born here.

They may be good citizens, or they may have been is trouble a few times, still they are Americans born and raised here.

Should they be proud or should they just accept that they haven't done anything special?

They have gotten to live in one of the richest countries that ever existed and reap those benefits, to some extent at least.

We are about to celebrate independence day, when the founding fathers decided to risk their lives and declare independence.

It worked out and here we are, enjoying the freedom they helped win for us.

Celebrate them, and think about what you have done or could do to make the country better.

It probably doesn't involve hate or guns.

Pursuit of Happiness

I grew up in an America where what people did in private or even in public was pretty much their own business unless of course it directly impacted others.

The city was filled with people and stores where customs and even the languages spoken were extremely diverse.

Depending on where you were you could hear Italian, Spanish, Yiddish, Chinese or any number of other languages being spoken.

Yes English was the common language that everybody used to communicate with "others" but either because it was more comfortable or more private they talked among themselves in their native languages often.

No one cared.

Well maybe some people did, but they would be few and far between.

Similarly, people practiced various religions, or no religion at all and while the ones who followed the wrong religion were possibly dooming their immortal souls, it wasn't much of a public issue.

There were of course certain things that weren't socially acceptable and generally homosexuality was kept pretty private in most areas.

That has changed over time.

I'm sure it was too long a time for those who were discriminated against.

This is a country where the promise is that every man and woman is entitle to pursue happiness, it is an inalienable right, granted by the creator and which Governments are created to protect.

We, the people need to defend that right, not attack it because it is different than how we pursue happiness.

If you are a real American.