I'm proud to be an American, sounds corny, but it is true.

I'm proud to be an American, too.

I love "America" (is that the US?) more for its landscapes and people than for its history...

Yes, I think we are all in this group very proud. It is hard to express our deep feelings when the American Anthem is played and the flag is raised. So much behind that symbolism. But I do agree that often people take advantage of that depth of pride and push too hard. What was with that dust-up over Obama not loving his country because he didn't wear a flag lapel pin? But I won't go there. This is a discussion about the main thing that symbolizes our deeper and, when you try to analyze it, rather complex emotions about this country we love.

Shucks, me too.

My Daddy, brother, and uncles all proudly served our country in the military and their pride in the American flag and and in America is an inspiration to me. I want to express that in this time of economic turmoil and war I tend to waiver. I remember a quote from a former President and I hope I can remember it accurately.

"We live in a time of transition, an uneasy era which is likely to endure for the rest of the century. During this period we may be tempted to abandon some of the time honored principles and commitments which have been proven during the difficult times of past generations. We must never yield to this temptation. Our American values are not luxuries, but necessities. Not the salt in our bread, but the bread itself."

President Jimmy Carter

The American flag may only be a piece of cloth to some but to me it is an emotional symbol of the actual blood, sweat, and tears that my family and so many others shed to protect my freedom. I may sound simplistic... and I guess it is. Hokey as it sounds...I am very proud to be an American.

Count me in folks, I love this great Nation of ours, warts and all. I get misty eyed and can feel my heart beat whenever a crowd at a parade or a ball game stands to salute the flag and sing the National Anthem.

Be well

F@#*K THE FLAG ! - and it is exactly that with which I curse that allows me the freedom to curse it. To understand this is to truly appreciate the magnificence of the stars and stripes, and to celebrate its splendor, is not to celebrate its leaders or its politics, but rather its unquenchable thirst for independance. Our country has been lapping at that fountain of freedom for 232 years and counting.

i will forever unfurl her glory !

I too am proud to be an American.

My grandfather was a paratrooper in the 101st Airborne Division. His service was a source of pride for him until the day he passed, and it continues to be a source of pride for me and my mom.

I thank God (whatever that may be) for the men and women who sacrifice their their lives, wholly and in part, "defending our way of life." Without their commitment and their bravery, who knows what flag we'd be waving.

Wino:

Your point is well made (and eye-catching to say the very least). To be a tad less blunt, let me quote Supreme Court Justice, Anthony Kennedy:

"It is poignant but fundamental that the flag represents the rights even of those who hold it in contempt."

To: Spiiner,

Among our many "freedoms" is the freedom of assembly. Whether that means a large group at a politic protest or a smalll group at dinner. (Hint)

I have three emails, one for business, one personal, one for on-line subscriptions and requesting things. My personal email is "beckettslane@gmail.com" I know the people on this site will respect my privacy, that's why I'm giving it to you.

Contact me about getting together when you're in L.A. I'm already looking forward to it.

"ExPat"

I don't have a family history of military service nor have I traveled much outside the US. America is really all I know through first hand experience. I've often heard that if you don't appreciate this country, go live in another for awhile and you'll understand better why those who have lived elsewhere love this land.

Despite my lack of personal experience, I do greatly appreciate the freedoms we have here...to worship as we please, to live where we choose, to speak our minds. The flag represents all that is good and noble about this country. I don't own a flag -- I think I'll do something about that soon. Maybe on the 14th.

Mr. Peterman raises a very interesting point with the paragraph, "Some, maybe, think it’s a bit corny to fly our flag. Even worse, hypocritical. Who can live up to those ideals?" and, later, "Maybe in our quest to be right, we haven’t always been right."

That last statement is clearly true and the previous question is clearly rhetorical enough to hint at the answer, "no one!" But here's the catch: Does it matter?

The fact that we may be unable to live up to the flag's ideals does not alter for a second the need to strive for them. The fact that we haven't always been right does not mean that we should give up the quest. It is the quest itself that matters most. As they say in the east, it is not the quarry but the hunt that matters, not the destination but the journey. Or -- to paraphrase Jefferson -- not the happiness, but the pursuit.

I once had a teacher who said, "If you strive for a hundred percent and you fall short, but you gave it everything you had, you have nothing to apologize for. If you strive to simply get by... and you get by, what have you really attained?"

We will never always be right. We will never fully live up to our flag's ideals. But we must never give up the quest.

I beg to differ on the question of who can live up to those ideals. The ideals that this country was based upon aren't some kind of lofty, impossible to attain goals. All that is required is to remain informed, obey the laws, and not be so full of yourself that you infringe on the rights of others.

And yes, anyone in North or South America can rightly call themselves an American. We've usurped the name, but from what I understand, our founding fathers would have first have pride in being a citizen of their state - a Virginian, a Pennsylvanian, a New Yorker, etc, and their loyalty to the union secondary.

So am I proud to be an American? No. America is strictly a geographic distinction. I'm proud to be a New Yorker, the state I have chosen to make my home in, and I'm proud of much of what the United States has accomplished. I don't get misty eyed when I see a flag, or when I hear the Star Spangled Banner. It's not the flag I'm standing up for, as it has been usurped for all kinds of political and commercial purposes. What I will gladly stand for any day, is the people, and the freedoms this nation is built on.

"We will never always be right. We will never fully live up to our flag's ideals. But we must never give up the quest."

Well put, DreadPirateRoberts. As you wish... :)

...although todd also brings up some interesting counterpoints...

It's not that I don't have a feeling of patriotism, or a love of country, or even an affection for the flag. But the flag as is so often stated, is a symbol of our country. And our country today isn't the same country it was 200 years ago, or will be in 50 years, Sometimes your country is something to be proud of, as it often has been. But much of the past 50 years has really sucked in some very profound ways. In a lot of ways we've strayed from our ideals. And I have less interest in waving the flag than in hoping the country steers itself back on course, so that the concept of living up to those ideals mentioned in the article don't seem so impossible again.

Hey all...If tomorrow all the things were gone and I'd worked all for all my life...and I had to start again with just my children and my wife I'd thank my lucky stars to be livin here today. The flag still stands for freedom and they just can't take that away. Yep, I'm proud to be an American where at least I know I'm free. And I won't forget the men who died who gave that right to me. And, I gladly stand up next you all of you and defend her still today. There isn't any doubt I love this land. God Bless the USA!

From the lakes of Minnesota,to the hills of Tennessee, across the plains of Texas, from sea to shining sea, from Detroit down to Houston,
and New York to L.A. there's pride in every American heart, and its time we stand and say God Bless the USA!

WOW what a topic that has just hit close to my home life ~

My Grandfather & Grandmother ALWAYS flew a flag on the pole by their house ~ The Respect for & of the Flag itself was taught to me by my Grandparents.

My Grandfather was in the service at the end of WII he never was sent to the front but served proudly here in the U.S. He never said a bad thing about the Military & U.S. that I can remember. He left us after a long battle with Alzhiemers in 2004. Out of the 4 Grandkids the youngest one joined the Army in 2002 ~ She came in full uniform to the Funeral. I know my Grandparents are very proud of her for doing so.

My Grandmother sold the old house last summer. I finally found the courage to drive by it in May ~ The people who live there now fly a Confederate Flag on the ole' Flag Pole. It broke my heart to see that. I wanted to get out of the car & knock on the door & tell them why & what that Flag Pole was really set up for.

I LOVE the area of Washington D.C. fell in LOVE with it on my first trip there almost 20 years ago the best part of the trip was seeing the 1812 Flag being unveiled in the American History Building for the Smithsonian Institution while the National Anthem played. It was so HUGE & Tattered & LOVELY.... Went back about 2 years ago & it was bittersweet knowing that the Flag was being restored but in order to do so the type of viewing I had seen as a young lady wer eno onger happening. Seeing that Flag made all that my Grandparents taught me come to light & show a repsect towards it that many people of my generation seem not to notice. Having flags wave from the bed of your truck while doing 90 down the highway is not respect to me. Also Burning the flag as a sign of opposition is not showing the country itself respect to me.

a flag is source of pride, national identity & a testiment to the ideals of that country. the idea of a countries flag was not to incite burning it or trashing it but to create a sense of Nationalism between the people of the country.

It's a shame that it has been reduced to a political statement as to who is a better American those who choose to wear it or don't.

I love how the addition of an American flag anywhere brings a whole new perspective to the area [a school, warzone, the moon]
I remember once in elementary school, the fifth graders who were supposed to put up the flag in the morning managed to put it up upside down. Our janitor [who has served in the army] cried.
I'm just glad that any cloth can bring up that much emotion in anyone.

I, probably, like many here have been embarrassed and somewhat sickened by this country over the last...well eight years at least. But whenever one of my European friends start attacking this country, I go fairly berserk.

Remember, if you fly a flag at night, you must have a light illuminating it. A few regulations to brush up on.

Some great points made here...and i couldn't $#%@ agree with Wino more!

It's always interesting the way countries and people need to use objects/things to symoblise beliefs... not saying it's good or bad but I think sometimes people too often get caught up with the object/things and forget what it really stands for.

I think a person can be appreciative of the freedoms and rights we enjoy in the USA and not pledge blind patriotism. There is a lot that's wrong with our country, admittedly. We don't have to pretend, whether we're talking to each other or acquaintances in other countries. But, it's just like marriage.....the grass 'aint always greener on the other side of the fence.

I hate how the justice system is so often not just, but it's better than what you find in Iran. I hate how politics is something we endure, and elections often things we just survive, going in to vote for the lesser of two evils. But, at least we have a choice. I hate how some abuse their rights and privileges and harm others or show no respect for other people's property. But, in some places, owning property isn't an option, the size of your family is dictated to you, and you really have NO rights. I hate how our government is so huge, the deficit so insanely high, and that 35% of my paycheck I never see. But privilege and order aren't cheap.

I don't know if I'm proud to be an American based on the image we have in other places, but I do love and respect my homeland and am not sure I'd really want to live anywhere else...except maybe heaven.

Dutchman:

I know exactly how you feel. Just as surely as there are certain ethnocentrics who assume that America is the source of all things good, it is equally ridiculous to assume that it is the author of all things evil. Do your European friends imagine that their nations' histories are spotless. We have the disadvantage of monumentally bad leadership RIGHT NOW. But one does not need to go back that far to find similarly disastrous politics in most places.

Unless your friends are from Iceland, Switzerland, or Denmark (there may be a few more places but I'm sure you get the idea), they should remember "Cast out the beam in thine own eye before observing the mote in your neighbor's eye."

There is certainly a lot of rhetoric and knee-jerk patriotism around any flag, not just the US one. As a child, I refused to pledge allegiance to the flag in school. I wasn't prepared to make a commitment to something I didn't fully grasp, and the principal called my parents in. They supported me. My father's comment was, "He's not old enough to drink, vote, drive or serve in the military, so he's certainly not old enough to take an oath to a country." Dad was an incredibly wise man.

I don't say the pledge to this day, or salute any flag. I have a US passport as well as an Italian passport. I own a residence in the US, but my "home" is our villa in Italy. I love too many other parts of this planet to pledge myself to any one government.

The USA is my home, it has always been my home, and unless someone kicks me out, I expect I shall probably always live here. I know I'm not as well traveled nor well versed in other countries and their form of government as some of you, therefore my perspective is limited.

I like it here, in this country, where I live. I know it is flawed. I know it has improved in many ways as I know it has developed some pretty ugly flaws along the way too. I know that the one constant within our borders, or any other place you choose to hang your hat, is in fact change.

For me, and I can only speak for myself, the flag symbolizes how and where I would like to live. It's my choice, and it is a conscious choice, to live here. Until I can spin the globe and can point my finger on a place called Utopia, I'm not very interested. I spun the globe and looked again the other day and it's just not there. We seem to forget that we are still a relatively young country and we suffer the pains just like anything that grows feels.

DPR, you rascal. You always come up with the best quotes for any discussion and/or occasion. I salute you!

When our kids spent the year in Germany, they literally had strangers come up to them in the street and stop them (I guess it was obvious they were Americans) to say that they wanted to let them know that their anti-US feelings and demonstrations were not against the people, only the current administration. They loved the US and what it traditionally stood for but they were unhappy with where the leaders were taking us. The kids didn't know just how to react to this but to agree. It seems that many throughout the world understand where we came from and admire that and can separate it from the actions of the current administration. So I guess we here at home should also keep those ideals and principles in the forefront of our perspective and remind ourselves often of just what this great experiment we call the USA is all about.

SSJ:

Thank you sir. You are kind and gracious.

Of course, my tendency to use quotes might just be a testament to my own lack of originality. I think I've used this one before but it is certainly apt to today's discussion; from my favorite source of quotations, my late father:

"There can be no such thing as a PERFECT society; only a perfectly FREE society. But, even in a perfectly free society, people will continue to fight with their spouses and over-estimate their capacity for strong drink."

I notice that today, I am not the only one quoting his father. Onc Doc, I LOVE your story of your father in the principal's office. Priceless!

Every day, I live in hope that my little girl will grow to reminisce about me as proudly and fondly as ExPat, Onc Doc, I, and others have reminisced about our fathers.

DPR,

Your comment about your father being your favorite source for quotations knocked loose what is now a fond childhood memory. At the beginning of the fall semmester of third grade we were all asked about our summer vacation. That year our family took the typical 1950's "Americana Vacation" which was five of us stuffed into a 1953 Pontiac driving through Arizona (and I stress the point that it was summer and 55' Pontiac's didn't have AC as a standard feature) and we had already worn out our litany of standard road songs halfway through Missouri so my father picked up the slack and decided to regale us all with an unfortunately, unforgettable, limerick.

Well I couldn't get that song out of my head, so when asked by the "Divine Penguin", a.k.a., Sister Mary Carmella, about my summer vacation I was able to quote my Dad verbatim (and carried the tune quite well I thought).

I had to clean erasers after school for week! . . . . but it was well worth it for the reaction I saw on her face even though I didn't understand why. Let's just say the lyrics included "New York City", Gum Drops, Sing, Dance, and Mustache and leave it at that. I've already done hard-time for that one.

I was completely moved about the piece I just read about our flag. Thank you Mr. P, well done.

SSJ:

As intellectually stimulating as some of the socio-political issues on this board can be, I think my favorite thing about this community is how everyone here is such a great raconteur. And you have provided another priceless anecdote. Seriously, someone should archive this stuff; we could call it "Tales from Peterman's Eye". I'd buy that book!

While a week of cleaning erasers may constitute "hard time", the REALLY SAD part of your story is that you were already out of road songs before you left Missouri. The prospect of driving the flat, bleak, unbearably boring landscape of Kansas without new road songs to sing absolutely chills my spine. I grew up about 45 minutes from the Kansas border and used to count trees on one hand any time I wound up over there.

Legend has it that, when he realized what awaited him at Little Big Horn, General Custer turned to his troops and said "Men, the bad news is, we will all probably die in the fight to come. The good news is, we won't have to ride back over Kansas!"

To: DreadPirateroberts,

I, too, have noticed the story telling ability of our fellow contributors. Do you think what attracts them to the site is the "stories" and "anecdotes" in the Owner's Manual? I think the Owner's Manual, knowingly or unknowingly, gives you a glimpse into another time and place. A romantic, even nostalgic place. We want to be there, we want to know more, we are tantalized by the "what if", the "could have been".

Just a thought......

I agree, a book of the comments on this site would be a bestseller. No one would know who we were. It would be a 'mystery" book. Peterman's Eye is the inspiration for many eyes. I am always amazed at the depth of knowledge, the insight, the humor of my fellow commentators.

And we are all over the country. At least one, Heiress, is in France, and onc doc has said his preferred home is his villa in Italy. What a fascinating group.

ExPat:

Absolutely! The stories in the manual are everything. I love my Ottavolo Mountain shirt because it looks good. But it was the STORY that sold it. Mr. Peterman doesn't merely sell clothes. He sells the IDEA of his clothes. Anyone can offer you a striped shirt. But only Mr. Peterman had the genius to sell an overweight 33 year-old like myself the opportunity to become a little bit Picasso every time I put it on.

Thank you for reminding me about Heiress' home in France. When Onc Doc mentioned his Italian villa, I swear my first thought was "How very Petermanesque this fellow is". Now that I am reminded of Heiress, I realize that these two friends of ours are living out the "factual romance" (God, I love that phrase!) of Mr. Peterman's vision. It is something I aspire to. I'll let you know how it goes. ;-)

ExPat & DPR:

I think this forum has in many ways evolved into a microcosm of the "Great Melting Pot". We have great deal of diversity with enough common ground to be welcoming and inclusive.

I agree with ExPat's suggestion that the "Owner's Manual" is indeed the soil of that common ground. There is a strong kinetic energy at play here where a simple "turn of a phrase" can set a whole new direction of thoughts and memories into motion.

ExPat's description of the "Owner's Manual" as a "glimpse into another time" and "what if", "could have been" also describes two of my favorite novels by Jack Finney "Time and Again" and "From Time to Time" which were described by Clive Cussler as being "a memorable portrait of what might have been". Both novels involve a chance to live in a better age, at least for a while. A very similar feel to the "Owner's Manual."

DPR:
Kansas makes Illinois feel like Colorado.