I'm not sure if this is what she really had in mind with her idea, but after deep reflection throughout this November 5th, 2008, it is exactly how I feel.
For the entire time I've lived abroad it has been my habit to cringe when a well-meaning person has asked where I hail from originally. "Ummm... the United States."
"Oh, the land of George W. Bush", or something similar almost always comes out of their mouths next. Usually this is followed by some smart-assed comment about the Iraq War, Freedom Fries, WMD or "Where is Osama bin Laden anyway"? Some have even been callous enough to ask outright if I voted for the guy. To which I have always proudly answered that I didn't vote for him either time.
Talk like this on my part is what my mother would call "Un-American". Yes ladies and gentlemen, admitting that I am proud to have ticked my ballot for "ANYONE BUT BUSH" is not patriotic.
When I moved to Germany she implored me to not move away and "run down America" at every opportunity. What she didn't understand was that W was doing this much more efficiently than I ever could have.
As conservative America gasped in horror at Michelle Obama's statement that she was proud of her country for the first time... I was not horrified... I was mollified, relieved, calm even.
"Oh, the land of George W. Bush", or something similar almost always comes out of their mouths next. Usually this is followed by some smart-assed comment about the Iraq War, Freedom Fries, WMD or "Where is Osama bin Laden anyway"? Some have even been callous enough to ask outright if I voted for the guy. To which I have always proudly answered that I didn't vote for him either time.
Talk like this on my part is what my mother would call "Un-American". Yes ladies and gentlemen, admitting that I am proud to have ticked my ballot for "ANYONE BUT BUSH" is not patriotic.
When I moved to Germany she implored me to not move away and "run down America" at every opportunity. What she didn't understand was that W was doing this much more efficiently than I ever could have.
As conservative America gasped in horror at Michelle Obama's statement that she was proud of her country for the first time... I was not horrified... I was mollified, relieved, calm even.
“For the first time in my adult lifetime, I am really proud of my country,” she told a Milwaukee crowd, “and not just because Barack has done well, but because I think people are hungry for change.”
Ladies and Gentlemen I too was horrified for years as I watched my friends and family support what I felt was a regime which was steadily approaching fascism. I myself gasped in horror every time I watched W impose another dictatorial control over the American people.
I observed with pain in my heart as he compromised the United States Constitution by his actions of disregarding the voices of both houses of Congress, the elected representatives of the citizens of the United States of America. With his every utterance of the word "Terror", designed to control and frighten the American public to its core, I held my breath... in the words of John Mayer, "Waiting on the World to Change".
And then along comes this guy. He's kinda goofy looking you know? His head is shaped a bit funny and well, let's admit it, his ears stick out.
But he opens his mouth and just like Michelle Obama, for the first time in my adult life I too am proud to be an American.
After decades of disregarded promises from politicians who always manage to sound like used car salesmen, after eight years of failed policies by George W. Bush, after feeling personally affronted by Bill Clinton's administration for bullshit like "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and don't forget the "Defense of Marriage Act", after all of this... I had almost lost hope for a LEADER to enter the White House.
Yet today I believe for the first time that a leader has come to this important position. On January 20th it is my feeling that a real man will be sworn into the Presidency of the United States, and I am proud.
I know that today for the first time in many years, I will be able to hold my head up and answer the question of my national origin... not with my normal hesitation... not with fear of retribution... but with PRIDE.
Thank you Barack Hussein Obama for bringing back my hope and pride in my homeland.
Maybe starting today the label Expatriate won't feel so much like Ex-Patriot.
I observed with pain in my heart as he compromised the United States Constitution by his actions of disregarding the voices of both houses of Congress, the elected representatives of the citizens of the United States of America. With his every utterance of the word "Terror", designed to control and frighten the American public to its core, I held my breath... in the words of John Mayer, "Waiting on the World to Change".
And then along comes this guy. He's kinda goofy looking you know? His head is shaped a bit funny and well, let's admit it, his ears stick out.But he opens his mouth and just like Michelle Obama, for the first time in my adult life I too am proud to be an American.
After decades of disregarded promises from politicians who always manage to sound like used car salesmen, after eight years of failed policies by George W. Bush, after feeling personally affronted by Bill Clinton's administration for bullshit like "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and don't forget the "Defense of Marriage Act", after all of this... I had almost lost hope for a LEADER to enter the White House.
Yet today I believe for the first time that a leader has come to this important position. On January 20th it is my feeling that a real man will be sworn into the Presidency of the United States, and I am proud.
I know that today for the first time in many years, I will be able to hold my head up and answer the question of my national origin... not with my normal hesitation... not with fear of retribution... but with PRIDE.
Thank you Barack Hussein Obama for bringing back my hope and pride in my homeland.
Maybe starting today the label Expatriate won't feel so much like Ex-Patriot.
5 comments:
This is exactly the kind of post had in mind. SO very personal and honest. Bravo!
Thank you for the comments about being overseas during the W and Clinton administrations! How embarrassing! Especially tough when people are polite and want to compliment our country and I don't happen to agree at the time!
I was parking my truck downtown Cairo one day (which really should earn me some kind of award... anyway... ) some Egyptian soldiers were watching and said hello as I exited my vehicle. One man, to be nice, said "George Bush, #1!" I said, no, no thank you. I don't want him anymore. He looked shocked and unsure if he'd insulted me. I asked him if I could take President Mubarak home with me when I left. Got them all laughing. When I left later, we exchanged shouts of (them) US #1!, to which I replied Misr raqm wahed! (Egypt #1!).
Often being a representative of our country is not so easy though. Obama is a icon of hope.
I'm glad I'll no longer have to masquerade as a canadian when I visit Berlin
being a chicagoan and one of Obama's constituents since he first entered the state legislature yesterday made me doubly proud
did you stay up all night to watch the returns? I couldn't believe I was getting text requests for election updates from berliners at 4 am your time.
Beautifully said, Snooker! You speak to my heart here - I feel once more so proud to call myself an American and I am still in awe of what We The People declared on Tuesday. We made good on this one and our slate is looking cleaner.
I booked my ticket last night to DC for Inauguration Day - I wouldn't miss that historical moment for anything. As soon as W. takes off from the White House lawn on his way back to Texas, we will all breath a sigh of relief and scream at the top of our lungs: "it is finished"! ;)
Matt from alavenderlifeabroad.com
Amen sistah, amen!
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