yeah yeah yeah

America: Love It or Leave It

I think I was offered 10k to move to Europe and denounce my US citizenship. Interesting temptation but unfortunately the offer didn’t come with a job. The proposal came as part of a facebook discussion on the subject of socialism, European examples of socialism and an American comparison. A sort of  “America: Love it or leave it” debate.  And quite honestly, I wouldn’t mind leaving it. Not forever. I like America but getting out and seeing the world does a person good. Personally, I don’t think America is the greatest country in world. I don’t know for sure where the greatest country lies but it isn’t America. A country still struggling from the wrongs of slavery, discrimination and inequality doesn’t make for the greatest country ever. In fact the US is the 13^th best nation according to the 2009 United Nation Development Programme United Nation Development Programme’s HDI Rankings.  And I think a few obvious reasons contribute to United States’ lack of cracking the top ten: war, discrimination, poverty and elitism.

I look at the US like I do my alma mater Oklahoma State. OSU doesn’t have the best football program or (in general) highly ranked academics; but I still love OSU and still passionately cheer for my team no matter the sport, the game or the endeavor. I’m a proud Cowboy as I am a proud American – but also a realist and can see truth. OSU is a great school but it isn’t Harvard. OSU has a great football program but we aren’t USC. OSU does have the greatest wrestling program but not the greatest school of journalism. But I can recognize the faults of my Cowboys as I can recognize the faults of my country. It doesn’t make me any less faithful to either my beloved Cowboys or my beloved country.

But yes, I would love to live abroad. I would welcome any opportunity that allowed my family to live and experience life immersed in another country and culture. I fully believe that the more you can experience in life the more fulfillment you gain. I also would love for my daughter to have an opportunity to attend a more prestigious school than OSU if given the chance. Why wouldn’t I want something better for my country as I do for my children?

America IS great. Is it the greatest? Not yet. America is young, has a lot to learn, but full of potential. It is too bad that many Americans live with their minds so closed they can’t see the possibilities. Does that mean we have to completely imitate Europe? No, but there are some great examples out there of countries that take good care of their citizens. And another thing, the rest of the world doesn’t want to be America. We are envied by some but not by all. Without a doubt the US is a great world power that takes the responsibility very seriously and is superb at helping other nations in need; for that I’m proud. Because I really am a proud American. A proud American that believes that change can be good and it is okay to admit faults and recognize what others do great. I love the US but sure, if given the chance to live abroad, I’d go. But I don't want to give up my US citizenship just yet (I have faith this great country can rise to its potential) so I'll decline that ten-grand offer. 

Love it or leave it—I’d like to do both, thank you!

 

It's the Song About Love Between My Brothers and My Sisters All Over This Land

Today I watched history take place. Unfortunately not in DC but instead at the Market Square in Old Town where George Washington so often strolled. Just across the river from DC, TL and I watched the Inauguration on a Jumbo Tron, cold and huddled with a mass of people cheering OBAMA and waving flags. 

As I was listening to President Obama's (makes me grin ear to ear to type those two sweet words) Inauguration speech and watching the pan views of the millions of people in the Mall area I started thinking about how proud, at the very moment, how proud I was to call the USA my country. It was the sort of feeling I had when I was little kid, before I was jaded by the spirit of America. I remember when I was in the third or fourth grade and I thought I was truly lucky to live in America. We were doing reports on various countries in the world (I had Poland) and I remember thinking how sad it was for all those kids my same age living in a world outside of America. I thought these kids had to have a horrible life since they were not Americans and I thought how they all must envy us that were. I also wondered if they even had McDonald's or knew what SweetTarts tasted like. 

But then I grew up, read often and took some great history classes in college. Thanks to some good professors and good friends I opened my mind to the real American in which we live. The one that goes to war for no reason, does not treat its people with equality and refuses to recognize its own failures. I started to understand the impacts of slavery and the Trail of Tears and how it shaped the bitterness and anger within our nation. I took classes that focused on the unsung successes of women in history and found myself rejecting the traditional great American dream and all the consumerism that accompanies it. And these past eight years, wow. America, thanks to the leadership of Bush, turned into this mean, wa-hungry country hated by the rest of the world. At the end of 2007 the Fulbright Global Peace Index, ranked the US as the 97th most peaceful nation. Iraq bottomed the list, ranked 140th.

But today is a new day. I feel the hope in the air. I can feel the love and happiness sweeping this country. Watching President Obama (smiling again) addressing the country and asking for the help of the American people reminded me that we are a strong nation full of smart, innovated people and together we can make America a place of envy once again. We don't have to do this by flaunting our power or forcing our beliefs on other nations. We can do this instead with peace and by listening to the voices of all people from all races and religions across this country and around the world.  

So today I was bit disappointed that it wasn't in the cards for me to travel into DC but I was happy to share the energy overflowing across the Potomac into Old Town. And although the energy couldn't compare to that of the Mall, it was beautiful to share this joy with several hundred others as we anxiously and proudly watched history in the making. I just wish I could give all my friends that feel my same joy a great big huge victory hug. We did it!

I'm Walking on Sunshine, Woooah, and Don't it Feel Good

So is it just me or have you noticed too? I think we woke up to a new America on 11/5 and I keep waiting for this blissful feeling to fade, but it hasn't yet. At any moment, while I'm walking down the street, I'm expecting traffic cops to blow their whistles, wave their arms in joy as the pedestrians and drivers stop right their tracks and start dancing in sync while singing Broadway musical style. Handsome men will dance and jump from one car hood to another while looking down at the beautiful women turning gracefully in circles around the stopped traffic. Can you picture it? It is very 1950s style musical but the clothes are pure 80/08... leggings, bright over-sized sweaters, you can picture it now? They are singing Katrina and the Waves' "I'm Walking on Sunshine".

Okay, so maybe I'm exaggerating a bit, but it does feel like this country is already in a better state of mind since the election was final. In the past week, I have traveled up through MD, DE, NJ and NY and everyone I've encountered seems to have a little extra kick in their step. They hold the door open for you. They are more patient in the coffee line. I spent a few days in Western PA and noticed it there too. People just seem happier. As if the country and its people found its happy place and can see a bright future on the horizon after suffering from years under a hateful and corrupt administration. Seriously, people have been so much nicer since the Obama election, toll booth attendants on the Jersey Turnpike smiling and asking about your day. The stack of cars behind you not blasting on the horn because it is taking longer for cars to pass through the toll booth gates. Random folks stopping to say Hi and How are you? It feels like a time warp or another dimension, but it is freaking awesome. 

1/20/09. It is going to be a great day. I will be walking on sunshine with millions of others who are gathered in DC (including my awesome neice/friend and her awesome BFF roomie/friend) and maybe, just maybe, we will bust out a musical number on K Street.

I Have Been Working All of My Life And I am a Patriot, I Have Been Fighting the Good Fight

The Associated Press reported earlier today that Clinton is preparing to acknowledge that Obama has the delegates to win the nomination Tuesday night as the five-month Democratic primary process comes to a close. According to her campaign chairman Terry McAuliffe, "Sen. Hillary Clinton is "absolutely not" prepared to concede the race for the Democratic presidential nomination to Sen. Barack Obama." http://blog.hillaryclinton.com/

I'm so frustrated. Has Clinton not been saying for weeks now that she is not backing down from this race? Hasn't she said for weeks that she is the candidate running who has the most popular votes and believes she can take this all the way to Denver? Hasn't she proven with her actions and her words that she is in this fight until the magic number 2,118 is reached by either Obama or herself?

So why in the hell would the AP go and report such a story while the polls in two states are still open? Can they try harder to influence the voters. This is ridiculous. The media chose their candidate back in Iowa and has been fighting harder then Obama himself to keep their choice candidate in the lead. God knows he can't win a debate against her on his own. I'll admit it. I'm bitter, sad, angry, hurt and frustrated.

Why isn't our country ready to elect a women president. Why does the media hate her? She is an intelligent, strong willed and passionate women who believes in her cause and the cause of others like her.

I'm going to say it here and I know very few will agree with me and they might even think I'm a racist or at least an ignorant person (which I am neither for the record) for siding with former VP candidate Geraldine Ferarro, but I think she got it right when she recently said, "If Obama was a white man, he would not be in this position. And if he was a woman (of any color) he would not be in this position. He happens to be very lucky to be who he is. And the country is caught up in the concept."

I totally agree. The media is completely caught up in their love for Obama, an inexperienced senator from Illinois who has been working in DC for the same amount of time that I have been living here. I still feel like I'm new to the area.

Oh, and why does the media ALWAYS pick the worst picture of her and misrepresent passion for anger and defeat. I swear if they could get away with penciling in a set of devil horns they wouldn't hesitate to do so. Of course every photo of Obama they print are of him looking insightfully into the future. I just don't understand the bias. Does the media want so badly for McCain to win that they are pushing like hell for the weaker Democratic candidate? The polls prove that Hillary has more of a chance in November to beat McCain.

I'm just disappointed. I felt so positive back in January that she would win. I thought that the country was ready for a female to take office and I immaturely thought that the media would step back and let the people voice their opinions and limit their influence in the decision. I was wrong. Now, six months later it looks like the country IS in deed ready to have a women presidential candidate if only the media could let her fairly fight this race.

If she doesn't win I'll get on the Obama bandwagon. There is no way in hell I would cast my vote for McCain. I'm a yellow-dog, but I happen to be yellow-dog feminist who is ready to see if a women can't do a better job at running this country.

So give me time and I will eventually warm up to Obama if I have to do so. I just need to work through my bitterness and face the fact that I live in a country that has yet to accept women as equals to men. But until Hillary stops fighting her good fight, I will continue to believe in her and her campaign.

HILLARY 2008!