Living in the COVID World ... and Beyond #68: People, Country, and Pride

I have good friends in Israel.  I also know and like people in Palestine or the Palestinian Territories.   I have friends in Kenya and Nigeria.  I know a few people in Russia although I have not been in active contact with them recently.   And I have many friends, most of my closest friends, are here in the United States where I have lived my entire life.

I disagree with many of the policies of the governments of all the countries that I mentioned in the above paragraph.  I have actively disagreed and protested against some policies of the United States government over the last 50+ years, starting with the Vietnam War in the late 1960’s and into the 1970’s.   The U.S. government has done some horrific things, sometimes overtly and sometimes covertly, both domestically and internationally.

I fully claim being an American, or more correctly, a U.S.’er.  Despite how much I might adamantly oppose what the United States government is doing at any particular time, it does not make sense for me to deny, run away from, or hide that I am an American.  I am an American.   Actually, I think it makes sense to claim pride in being an American … just as I claim pride in being a man or in being five feet, nine inches tall or in being a bridge player (per my last blog).   I am who I am, and I can choose to be proud of who I am in every aspect, regardless of mistakes or oppressive actions I have taken in the past.   So, I am proud to be an American with all the positives associated with America and with all its flawed, oppressive and damaging polices that have wracked havoc on millions of lives.

If I can claim being an American, and take pride in being an American, then it makes sense that Israelis, Palestinians, Kenyans, Nigerians, and Russians (and everyone else) can do the same.   This does not mean that they agree with their government’s actions (they may, or they may not).  It means that we all get to take pride in the place that we come from and where we live, our heritage and our history.  

I have heard people say that “if things get worse”, then I’m leaving the country.   And people have certainly left all the countries that I have mentioned, plus many others, because of disagreement with policies and fears, or the reality, of being persecuted for those disagreements.

We need to make a distinction between a country and people from that country.   I think we can know and like people from everywhere.  We can know and like people from all countries, even those with which we have disagreements with their government’s policies.  

Let’s claim pride in who we are, including the country in which we live.   And let’s build relationships with people from all over the world to dispel myths or confusions we might have about places that are foreign to us.  Let’s do all that while we continue to advocate for the changes in government policies that we believe will make our country and the world a better place.