The Joy of Being American: Pride or Humility?
Maybe I'm weird. (Scratch that, I know I'm weird.) But on a great day like today, I'm not sure pride describes what I feel.
I have done nothing to earn the gift of being an American. I haven't served in the Armed Forces; I haven't yet made a conspicuous contribution to American culture or commerce (and it's likely I never will); I'm not even an immigrant who has had to earn his citizenship: it was simply given to me by accident of birth.
Instead of feeling proud, I feel unworthy of such a wondrous gift. And utterly grateful -- grateful all the way down to my toenails.
Could it be that this humble gratitude is really what is meant by American pride? And how so, when pride and humility seem so opposed?
Dear Ricochetians, what is American pride?
And what do you call the joy you feel at the gift of your citizenship? How do you describe it?
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May '11
Re: The Joy of Being American: Pride or Humility?
Sometimes I have the same feelings of unworthiness since my grandfathers and my fathers served our country in wars and I have not. I've come to the conclusion that the best we can do to make ourselves worthy of our citizenship is to make it the best country it can be. I can't describe the gratitude I feel in words, but every time I hear the national anthem played at the Olympics I break down in tears.
Feb '11
Re: The Joy of Being American: Pride or Humility?
You are not alone.
Jun '10
Re: The Joy of Being American: Pride or Humility?
Couldn't have said it better.
This may be a bit off point but I love this from P. J. O'Rourke, describing his response to his eight-year, after she complained that something was “unfair”: “Honey, you’re cute. That’s not fair. You’re smart. That’s not fair. Your parents are pretty well off. That’s not fair. You were born in America. That’s not fair. You had better pray to God that things don’t start getting fair for you.”
Just being an American is like winning the lottery.
Edited on Jul 5, 2011 at 6:59amMar '11
Re: The Joy of Being American: Pride or Humility?
Midge,
I am proud that I can say the words “I am a citizen of America” and know what the most important words in that sentence mean. Citizen: one who rules and is ruled in turn, in liberty without anarchy, under law. America: a country built on the proposition that all men were created equal, endowed by their creator with inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; a country ruled by the greatest and most just constitution of modernity.
I feel a sense of duty and thankfulness with regard to all of that. Duty not to let it pass into some gentle night; that it will be written about in some distant chronicle by some foreign wise man, with regret. Not on our watch.
And thankfulness. Thankfulness to our forebears that they stood and didn’t kneel. Thankfulness that we had among them men and women who were just, prudential, judicious, compassionate, and noble.
Jun '10
Re: The Joy of Being American: Pride or Humility?
I agree, Midget.
My daughter posted this on her Facebook page this morning:
"May I never wake up from the American dream." Carie Latet
The first two friends who "liked" it were from Ireland & Scotland. She also just completed writing a recommendation letter for another Irish friend whose visa is running out & needs an extension. It's often the outsiders looking in who best understand what we take for granted. And Ireland and Scotland are far from third world countries! --- Imagine the pull America has for the oppressed throughout the world.
Aug '10
Re: The Joy of Being American: Pride or Humility?
Hmm... It took me a while to see what you were getting at. The "we're not worthy" part, right? I couldn't imagine feeling that way about Alice Cooper (I mean, I don't even remember that he's not a woman). But every time I think of my citizenship, that is how I feel.
Aug '10
Re: The Joy of Being American: Pride or Humility?
Crow's Nest: Midge,
I am proud that I can say the words “I am a citizen of America” and know what the most important words in that sentence mean...
I feel a sense of duty and thankfulness with regard to all of that. Duty not to let it pass into some gentle night; that it will be written about in some distant chronicle by some foreign wise man, with regret. Not on our watch.
And thankfulness. Thankfulness to our forebears that they stood and didn’t kneel. Thankfulness that we had among them men and women who were just, prudential, judicious, compassionate, and noble.
Amen.
Though I feel less pride in having some idea of what, "I am an American citizen," means than I do embarrassment that so may youngsters my age seem to have no idea.
Although, unlike you, I don't serve in the military. So in my book, you have more right to feel pride than I do.
I, too, feel a sense of duty, though I have done nothing spectacular to fulfill it. I hope that little everyday acts of citizenship are enough, but worry, sometimes, that they aren't.
Aug '10
Re: The Joy of Being American: Pride or Humility?
tabula rasa
This may be a bit off point but I love this from P. J. O'Rourke, describing his response to his eight-year, after she complained that something is “unfair”: “Honey, you’re cute. That’s not fair. You’re smart. That’s not fair. Your parents are pretty well off. That’s not fair. You were born in America. That’s not fair. You had better pray to God that things don’t start getting fair for you.”
Just being an American is like winning the lottery.
Excellent quote. Couldn't have put it better myself -- in fact, I didn't.
Jan '11
Re: The Joy of Being American: Pride or Humility?
Well, speaking as one who did not have citizenship given to me, let me try to describe American Pride this way.
It's like being drafted to replace Peyton Manning. Yes, you should be grateful to be given the chance to make millions playing a game. Yes, you should be humble considering who came before you. No, you did not 'earn' that spot. But guess what? You get to work your ass off to earn it now. Citizenship is written forward, not read backwards.
As an immigrant, I'm proud to be an American. I'm grateful to be given the opportunity to join the proud traditions not my own. But more than anything, I'm mindful of the work ahead, both small and large, to make sure my children (who have been given the gift) feel the pride, the gratitude and the responsibility of being an American in a world that desperately needs America to be America again.
Sep '10
Re: The Joy of Being American: Pride or Humility?
When I was a young space geek, I loved the words on the Apollo 11 Lunar Module plaque: "We came in peace for all mankind." I thought then in terms of a universal human triumph.
Years later, I watched a film about the moon missions, and (as usual) there was a clip of the launch of a Saturn V. As the rocket slowly lifted past the gantry, the words United States, in red letters, passed the camera. And as they did, somewhere deep inside me I felt a voice say, Yeah. Not Britain, not France, not Russia. United States. We did it. For the rest of time, our nation will be the one whose citizens first set foot on another world.
And that's part of what being proud of America means to me.
Re: The Joy of Being American: Pride or Humility?
TheSophist: ... Citizenship is written forward, not read backwards. ...
· Jul 4 at 9:36pm
So true. So very, very true.
Re: The Joy of Being American: Pride or Humility?
Pride: what we feel when we understand the unique quality of the American experiment.
Humility: what we feel when we realize the next chapter has been entrusted to us.
Terror: see "Humility".
Jul '10
Re: The Joy of Being American: Pride or Humility?
This soaked in through my pores at four years old and never left. The obligation to do something with that heritage and to assure my children a share in that heritage in turn. I went to school with kids whose parents worked at Goddard Space Flight Center through the Moon landings. We watched the coverage of Apollo 13 in school for almost two hours, fingers crossed, the day before they splashed down.
I cannot look at a time line and find a generation of Americans that just voted present and sat around waiting for their "entitlements". This is not one either. And I really, really want a piece of that.
Apr '11
Re: The Joy of Being American: Pride or Humility?
James Lileks: Pride: what we feel when we understand the unique quality of the American experiment.
Humility: what we feel when we realize the next chapter has been entrusted to us.
Terror: see "Humility". · Jul 4 at 10:27pm
James Lileks: succinct truth sprinkled with humor.
Mr Lileks you are always appreciated but never duplicated.
Mar '11
Re: The Joy of Being American: Pride or Humility?
Midget, speaking as someone who has earned my citizenship the hard way (by immigration, contributing to US commerce), I admire your humble gratitude - not weird at all!
The weird ones are the natural-born citizens who call themselves "Liberal" or "Progressive", who seem to be somewhat ashamed of their country, and want to "fundamentally transform" it into a failed European Superstate - led by Mr and Mrs Obama.
Edited on Jul 5, 2011 at 1:22amApr '11
Re: The Joy of Being American: Pride or Humility?
I have managed to spend the last 4 Independence Days on foreign soil, the last two in New Zealand, where I now live and the previous two in Iraq. I've also spent one in Afghanistan, so I suppose I could say I'm in the unique position in that I've earned my citizenship, and still have chosen to live somewhere else.
All that being said, I can't say I feel, to this day, like I've earned my citizenship. I feel humbled by every previous generation that fought for freedom as well as the Americans who have been innovators or creators and even those, maybe especially those who just go about their business, live their lives, but realize the gift they have been giving.
As the next chapter has been entrusted to us, I don't know I'll ever feel like I've earned the gift of American citizenship, but I have to think ours is not the first generation to feel this way, and I can hope future generations will include ours as a generations they'd like to live up to.
Jun '10
Re: The Joy of Being American: Pride or Humility?
Midget Faded Rattlesnake
Dear Ricochetians, what is American pride?... How do you describe it? ·
Answer: American pride is shooting your own gun into the air on the fourth of July!
Mar '11
Re: The Joy of Being American: Pride or Humility?
Always better to replace pride with gratitude.
Aug '10
Re: The Joy of Being American: Pride or Humility?
Samwise Gamgee
Midget Faded Rattlesnake
Dear Ricochetians, what is American pride?... How do you describe it? ·
Answer: American pride is shooting your own gun into the air on the fourth of July! · Jul 5 at 5:56am
Golly, not straight up into the air, I hope.
May '10
Re: The Joy of Being American: Pride or Humility?
I think my answer is best expressed in The American's Creed by William Tyler Page. We recite it at every Daughters of the American Revolution chapter meeting, along with the Pledge of Allegiance and the Preamble to the Constitution.
"I believe in the United States of America as a government for the people, by the people, for the people, whose just powers are derived from the consent of the governed; a democracy in a republic; a sovereign Nation of many sovereign States, a perfect Union, one and inseparable; established upon those principles of freedom, equality, justice and humanity for which American patriots sacrificed their lives and fortunes.
I, therefore, believe it is my duty to my country to love it; to support its Constitution; obey its laws; to respect its Flag; and to defend it against all enemies."