I love America/I dislike America

Mar 02, 2008 - 22:00 PM PST

America is a complex country. For every Lou Reed, we have a Jeffrey Dahmer. It is a place with many good things and many bad things. I question our country and our leadership, but I also realize there is some progress made and many great things this country has given the world..Because I'm basically an optimist and like to leave things on a good note. lets start with the bad things:


The negative things this country that brought you:

George Bush and all corrupt leaders who engage us in war which has put America and our citizens in danger and has led to the death of hundreds (or thousands) of people, while claiming to be "prolife:
So-called hip hop like 50 Cent, which just reinforces negative black stereotypes and misogynistic behavior and lyrics, while glamorizing the "ghetto" lifestyle which has put many of our own people in prisons, led to drug abuse, hurt out familes and put us further in decay
The fact that many of our own citizens do not have good health care
Poverty
The so-called American Dream which seems so hard to get.
As much as gas prices, owning a home, and everything else seems to go up, wages do not
The country that has brought you Tim McVey, Mark David Chapman, Lee Harvey Oswald, and others.
The birth of religious zealotry, America gave birth to Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, James Dobson, Rev. Moon, Fred Phelps and others who misuse the word of G-d to spread hatred, opression, homophobia, and their idea of "moral values"
We grow up in a culture which tells us that it's wrong to be shy, introverted, or different. We get labeled as elitist or worst if we go against the grain, although this is not strickly an American thing.
Athletes and their salaries.
Our obsession with coffee, cigarettes, alcohol and all "legal" drugs.
American health care industry.
We constantly elect old white guys (The Republican party to be specific)

Now the good things!:

American writers: Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Philip K. Dick, Hunter S. Thompson, Jack Kerouac (and all the beats), Henry Rollins, Poppy Z. Brite, Charles Bukowski, Bret Easton Ellis, Rod McKuen, Walter Rinder, Jeremy Robert Johnson, Carlton Mellick III, H.P. Lovecraft, Poe, John Saul, and many others

American musicians: Lou Reed, Smashing Pumpkins, Sam Rosenthal and all at Projekt Records, Switchblade Symphony, REM, Bad Religion, Rise Against, AFI, The Doors, many others.

We might be on our way of actually being progressive and electing either a white woman or black man.
As seen above, some pretty kickass people are American.
We invented the internet, telephone, the lightbulb, the artificial heart, many others. Edison rules!
People who shook up the establishment such as Anton Lavey, John Waters, Marilyn Manson, Boyd Rice, and others who didn't follow the established path of how things are done. I'm not totally advocating them, I just respect the fact that they said and did things which were different. which brings me to the next thing:
The 1st amendment:Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. (remember it, live by it)
Websites such as youtube, wikipedia, google, yahoo.
many major film, tv studios.
we can't forget our rights as a free country and we must not let them try to take it away. I love America because as much as they try to take away our rights and freedom, we are still better off than some other countries.


All in all, I think American needs some help, but she is an old friend and as much as I question her, I have learned to love her. Like someone you grew up with, it hasn't always been perfect, but she's trying. I see us making a lot of huge steps and I can only hope it gets better in this country. We have given birth to many wonderful people, musicians, poets, writers, directors, inventors, scientists, revolutionaries, philosophers, philanthropists, friends, lovers, and many others. This isn't without it's faults, we as a country have a lot of work to do, but I really do believe we can achieve it, so it can be a good place to live. All the great people make me believe that. Thank you.