Two years ago, in response to an article in The Progressive, I wrote a commentary piece explaining why I thought the United States was special and distinctive among the nations of the world. While current U.S. foreign policy seems to be advocating a move away from strong, proactive American leadership in favor of greater international “consensus,” I still believe that this country is uniquely qualified to set the example for other countries to follow, and that as Americans we should not abandon our values and beliefs, or our patriotism and nationalism, in order to win support from other states.

Therefore, because I am convinced that maintaining our American identity is more critical now than at any point in the past, I am re-posting the words I wrote just after Independence Day, 2007.

Proud to be an American

Historian Howard Zinn, writing recently in The Progressive, said that this past Independence Day, Americans

"...would have done well to renounce nationalism and all its symbols: its flags, its pledges of allegiance, its anthems, its insistence in song that God must single out America to be blessed."

His column was an argument against the basic idea that we should consider ourselves Americans, and instead advocated an "allegiance to the human race," as if the two were somehow incompatible. 

He described our soldiers in Iraq as "victims...of our government's lies" and claimed that Americans suffer from "a loss of a sense of proportion." To support this claim, he said nationalist thinking had led us to such actions as the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in response to Pearl Harbor, and the killing of tens of thousands in the Global War on Terror in response to the deaths of 3,000 Americans in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, a clear indication of our "loss of a sense of proportion." The implication, of course, is that we should have been much more restrained after being attacked by a ruthless enemy, in 1941 and again in 2001.

With all due respect to Prof. Zinn's opinion, I must disagree. I take great pride not in the fact that I am a soldier, but in the fact that I am an American soldier. I am as capable at helping others as I am at hurting them, and I take far more pleasure in the former than I do in the latter. I am immensely proud and humbled to have the honor of representing my nation, as a member of the armed forces, in bringing relief to those who need it, and justice to those who deserve it.

I, and I believe most Americans, love all the symbols of our greatness: our flag, our anthem, our history, and our culture. I have sworn my life to defending the principles upon which this country was founded, and I do believe with all my heart that our nation is special and unique.

I teach my children to respect our flag and our country, and to be thankful for the blessings we enjoy. I get choked up at the playing of "The Star Spangled Banner" and at the passing of Old Glory, and I and my children stand and give proper honors when either occurs. That may make me a nationalist in Mr. Zinn's eyes, but it doesn't make me any less a member of the human race.

And what about that greatest symbol of America, our national colors, that Prof. Zinn would have us put away? Our flag stands for what this nation is: a beacon of hope to the rest of the world, a place where freedom and prosperity are available to all who come here peaceably and are willing to work for it. It represents the values and beliefs that our soldiers are dying for, because they know America is worth preserving. It represents that magical place where people from around the world still long to be, and it stands for justice and equality, the inherent human rights that are sadly lacking in many places around the world.

Do we sometimes make mistakes in dealing with other nations? Yes, of course, but this nation represents a land where good triumphs more often than not, and that is why the rest of the world continues to look to us for guidance and hope. And it is why our enemies seek to destroy us and everything that we represent.

I have been around the world and seen the joy in people's eyes when American help has arrived, and I have felt pride and thankfulness for being part of such a wonderful nation, knowing that few other countries could provide the hope and promise that we do. And I have seen the utter fear in those who know that we have come to right the wrongs on behalf of those who cannot fight for themselves against tyranny and oppression. A former commanding officer of mine summed it up beautifully when he said, "When we deploy our forces, one of two things happens: people either say ‘Thank God, they're coming, or they say, ‘Oh shit, they're coming.'" Both speak to the greatness of this nation.

The flag, and all our symbols of national pride, mean something because they represent all that is good and right about America, and all that can be good and right in the world. They serve as an inspiration and source of pride not only to most Americans, but also to everyone who wants to be an American or wants their nation to be more like ours.

No, the time has not come to renounce nationalism and symbols of national pride. Instead, now, more than ever, it is time to stand up and be counted. Because now is a time of great peril for our nation, when radical enemies seek to destroy everything we stand for and everything we believe in. And it will take proud Americans, and not proud humans, to ensure that our country and our way of life continue, for us, and for the rest of the world.

You may have missed it, but on Wednesday, Barack Obama held yet another so-called townhall meeting. This one was to discuss his health care plans and use the new tools of "social media" to do it. Although surrounded by a live audience, the main focus of the event was to reach people using the White House web site, Facebook, and Twitter.

The problem is that there should be some kind of standards when it comes to a townhall meeting. By labeling it as such, Americans get the impression that this is a meeting of average Joes (and Janes) -- people from all walks of life and all parts of the political spectrum -- who can throw out questions to the president. Well... not quite...

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The last contested race in the U.S. Senate has been decided. On Tuesday, the Minnesota Supreme Court unanimously ruled that former comedian Al Franken will be the state's new senator. This gives the Democrats 60 seats in the Senate.

Who would have imagined? Just a few election cycles ago, Republicans controlled everything: the House, the Senate, and the White House. Now, not only have the Republican numbers been decimated, but with Al Franken in the Senate, the Democrats have a filibuster-proof super majority. This means, as long as they stay together, the Democrats can pass anything and everything they wish.

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The United States Supreme Court has spoken, and because of Monday's ruling, the nation can move one step closer to truly being a colorblind society. In the process, the majority of Supreme Court justices slapped down the ruling of Obama's Supreme Court nominee: Judge Sonya Sotomayor.

In a case where white firefighters were denied promotions simply because they are white, Sotomayor ruled that it was fine for the city of New Haven, CT to throw out test results on a promotional exam because no minorities placed high enough to receive a promotion. The Supreme Court said, "Wrong!" I wonder how a conservative nominee would be judged by Democrats if the Supreme Court overturned a recent ruling by the nominee. Do you think they'd dismiss it as they are doing for Sotomayor?

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The ongoing cloak-and-dagger political shenanigans of one of America’s more esteemed non-union companies continues to undermine its argument on a bill pending before Congress. Here’s the issue in a nutshell:
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I had an interesting conversation with my daughter on the way to one of her softball games this past weekend. We were talking about technology and all the new inventions and devices that have sprung up during my lifetime. From VCRs and CDs to cell phones and DVDs, the list goes on and on.

Technology is no longer something foreign to younger people. It is part of their lives. Where older folks may run and hide if they are asked to use a computer, the younger generation embraces technology. They also embrace a mindset that is increasingly different from older Americans. At least that is what one study is indicating. Let's check it out...

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As if health care were not enough, Barack Obama is already talking about immigration reform. Fresh off more than an hour of exclusive airtime devoted to his health care plan, Obama says he wants a new immigration bill that he can sign this year or early next year.

We have seen numerous attempts at immigration reform over the last several years. All have gone down in flames. Yet, the politicians keep pushing for amnesty despite the overwhelming opposition from the American people. Unemployment keeps going up. Jobs are tight. Yet Obama wants to make it harder for Americans to get those jobs. He blasts companies for sending jobs overseas, but wants to make it easier for workers from across the border. What kind of sense does that make?

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An election was held in Iran, and now people are dying. They are dying in the name of freedom -- protesting what they feel is a rigged election. Since the protests began, the Iranian government has been resorting to violence in order to stop the momentum of progress.

While people are dying in the streets of Iran, Barack Obama and his team have been calling the situation a "vigorous debate." Are you kidding me? A vigorous debate was held between Lincoln and Douglas. A vigorous debate is what you have between Michigan and Ohio State fans. People are dying! And yet, Obama will still not send a clear message to the people of Iran that America is on their side.

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We are all told that Barack Obama is personally popular. He's called a great orator (teleprompter included), charming, smooth, likable, and more. The list of positive adjectives provided by the media continues to grow as they fall more and more in love with him.

When push comes to shove, however, a president will have to face up to the policies that are being advocated. Have Obama and the Democrats overplayed their hand with this massive move to the left? It appears so, as more and more Americans are starting to take a second look at Obama's health care plan and other policies. I guess this is not the "change" they were expecting.

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This is the week that we get our full dose of health care "news" on ABC. The special which airs on Wednesday is a townhall format in which Barack Obama will answer "tough" questions from the audience as picked by ABC News.

Conservatives and other media critics have been up in arms ever since ABC News announced the format. Diane Sawyer, co-host of ABC's "Good Morning America" recently went on the air to defend the program and deny that it was a glorified infomercial. She actually said she is proud of the program, because it's important to have a debate on this serious issue. Note to Dianne... it might just be me, but I thought it takes two opposing sides to have a debate. Right?

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