Proud

In the midst of all the great Olympic moments thus far (and there have been some good ones), I keep thinking of this little snippet of an interview which aired last weekend. Chris Collinsworth interviewed Kobe Bryant and while I am not the biggest Kobe fan, his solid answers about being proud of America made me rethink that. This blog entry pretty much sums things up: click here to read it. (FYI--I've never read this blog before but happened to find it as I searched for a transcript of this interview)

I love America and I think it is the greatest country on earth--why wouldn't I? Just to adhere to some liberal theory that seems to pervade in the media? The USA is my home, it's where I was born, where I have lived most of my life, and it's a place my ancestors worked incredibly hard to become a part of. I have lived outside the USA both as a child and an adult, and traveled to many foreign countries. In fact, I have a great love for some of these foreign lands--they hold a piece of my past and a piece of me. However, by simply saying that I love my own country above all others does not mean that other countries are without value--that logic doesn't make any sense. So what is the "uncool" thing about loving my country? I don't care if Germans love Germany or even if they think their country is the best in the world--same goes for the Chinese, the Russians, the Australians, the French...Props to them for loving their heritage and their homeland--I would expect that of them. But just because I am an American and love my country, somehow, I need to defend it? Yes, there are things I would love to change about our nation and yes, there are things I would never, ever change. But none of that means I need to shy away from being a patriot.

I think about my grandfathers who fought in the Air Force and Army during World War 2. I think of my dad who served in the Army during Desert Storm not too long ago. And I often think about my little brother who at this very moment is physically working harder than I could ever imagine, pushing his limits in all ways possible, suffering, praying like crazy and doing his best to hang in there day after day just because he is a US Marine--and that's what Marines do for our country. If any of you know Marshall, he is not in the military to earn money, pay off schooling debts, or have a steady job and great health insurance. He is there because he loves his family, loves his freedom and loves the ideals this country represents. And that's why he is willing to sacrifice so much--even his life--for the preservation of that which is most important to him. Now that is some serious pride in this country--pride that should never, ever be questioned or belittled.

Wow--I am really good at making a short story long...:) There is much more to say, but for now I simply add GO USA--I'll keep cheering for you loud and clear!