Yesterday’s Oprah was surprisingly interesting. Her topic was “What I love about America.” Teddy bears, band aids, and hot dogs are all staples of Oprah’s America. As we celebrate our nation’s independence, what are three things you love and three things you hate about our country?
Three things I love about America:
Freedom of Speech- Only in America can a man wear a shirt portraying the first black man that will win the U.S. presidency as monkey. And it’s okay. We all have a right to think and feel as we do. In America, not only do we have a right to an opinion, but we have a right to express that opinion.
Red, White, and Blue- I love these colors together. And I love Ralph Lauren for making so many great clothes that accentuate the classic look.
American Literature- Many of my fellow English majors loved that British literature, garbage, but I hated Brit Lit. I got into some Russian authors, some French, but give me American any day of the week. Gatsby’s dream or Hester’s shame… American literature speaks to my struggles and my life.
Three Things I Hate About America:
Ban on Gay Marriage- Only in America, the land of the free, would some citizens be denied basic human rights. It happened to blacks for over a century and it is still happening to same-sex partnerships. Sexy-hot blogger Promiscuous X restarted the discussion and here are some thoughts I shared with him. Gay marriage is not about making anyone accept our lifestyle choices. Instead, the fight for gay marriage is really simple- I have the right to decide who should make my life decisions with me. From buying home, investing in shared stocks, or what will happen with my remains after death, I have the right to have my same-sex partner make those decisions with or for me.
I love Parker. If I was in a critical accident tomorrow, he would not even be able to visit me. If I died, he would get kicked out of our home and my family could possibly not even include him in funeral plans and arrangements. That is just one scenario. What if this happens fifteen years down the road? Or thirty?
Gay marriage is not about acceptance, some “I’m here, I’m queer” bullshit. It is about civil rights that we deserve as Americans who pay taxes and pay into retirement funds and social security. What happens to my retirement money when I die before my partner? It’s my money, but it will not go to the man I share my life with and that is a problem. That is the biggest reason I hate America.
George Bush’s Reign of Idocity- This moron steals the presidency and then runs-amok for eight years, destroying our economy, the Middle East, and our international reputation in the process. I hate George Bush. And because WE made his reign possible, I hate America.
Fox News- While I fully support and value free speech, I hate the Fox News network and everyone associated with Fox News. From their incorrect portrayals of Obama, to their constant push to reconstruct American history of government, the Fox News Network helped Bush win election and helped him blind the American people to the truth regarding the war in Iraq. I hate Fox News and because a large portion of Americans watched that garbage, I hate America.
7 comments:
now that was good and funny...i see you...anyone who clutches pearls on my blog and then makes me laugh on theirs is ok in my book. See ya around, fam!
why am i finding this so hard to answer???
Loves of America:
1. Freedom, period. I can dream and take advantage of opportunities.
2. Diversity. America is not the only diverse country on the earth but I love how we have so many different people, cultures, and so on.
3. The country is just beautiful. I can go anywhere in America and experience the wonders of the world from the snowcapped mountains to the sandy beaches, from the busy city streets to the quiet of the country, etc.
Hates of America:
1. Ignorance. We are free til we are fool. How can you extend rights to some and not all? Is this not the land of the free and home of the brave?
2. Bush. Bush. Bush. How did America allow this man to run our country to hell for 8 years? I swear January 2009 can't get here fast enough. If McCain wins then I will be sipping tea in Europe. I am not playing.
3. The current state. I can't stand seeing people losing their jobs. No one should be comfortable right now. At any point anyone can lose their jobs and struggle. Have we not all struggled enough with our weak dollars?
Where do I start? I feel privilege to live in a country where I can travel freely, live freely and be me without living in fear.
I agree with you about the Gay Marriage Ban, It just doesn't seem fair, but then again life isn't always fair.
Brotha, I feel you on the part about "what happens if we meet our demise before our partner and we have been together for years?"
It is sad to think that in some states that our lovers are not consider when it comes to insurance, benefits etc. I can include my partner, but there are limitations not all couples have that opportunity. Change is going to come.
Hate is one of those words I refrain from using, but of course there are things about this Country that I detest, but I will not even begin to elaborate on those things.
Omar, glad you stopped by!
D-place, I definately feel you on the difficulty of the question asked.
bps 2.0, thanks for visiting... I look forward to a wonderful blogger relationship. It seems like we agree on a number of issues.
Chet, I guess all we can do is continue to hope. Man, what a time to be living and growing in America.
I saw the show too - intersting thing though, lol - I wasn't nearly as inpspired as you seem to have been.
BTW, did Oprah SMASH that moon pie or what? LOL
For the most part it's pretty cute for us in America. Just hoping that our economy improves. Right now our dollar ain't jack. I'm about to jump on Jay-z' bandwagon and ask my job to pay me in pounds.
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