Are you a patriot?

[Common]

Posts like this are proof that wisdom does not necessarily come with age.

That was very profound

[Common]

I risked my life fighting in a US war. I volunteered to serve in the Marine infantry even though the Navy wanted me to serve in their highly selective nuclear submarine program. I spent seven months in Iraq dodging improvised explosive devices, snipers, suicide bombers and a bevy of other deadly traps and was honorably discharged after my term of enlistment expired. Yet despite this, I am routinely accused of being anti-American or unpatriotic by dishonest cowards who hide behind their computer screens simply because I criticize the US government's imperialist foreign policy. So if you're expecting a reasonable response to your perfectly reasonable question, then you are going to be disappointed.

So what, you havent done a single thing millions of other americans havent done before you and since and that doesnt make your view of anything right

[donttread]

He's in the Hate Americas category. I don't know that you are.

Based on what? His interest in curtailing our unnecessary military activities and playing world police while we really can't even get our domestic $#@! together? Because if it's that or his belief that we should actually follow the Constitution then I AM in that category. You have simply badly misnamed the category.

[donttread]

I can't vote according to the guy in the OP.

I will answer, though - I don't feel overly patriotic here in the United States. I am sort of in a phase. I talk about Canada as home in one sentence then America in the next. I say "We Canadians" when discussing Canadian politics and have started saying that about US politics. I "feel" Canadian thanksgiving but celebrate US Thanksgiving. Same with Canada Day/July 4th. It is conflicting. I do not think that anyone from a western democracy can spend 25 years there and move here to the United States and totally adjust. Sometimes I spell it color, sometimes it is colour. I miss Canadian politics but I also now feel a certain amount of apathy towards the politicians and voting.

Some people have asked me about culture shock and I explain that it's definitely there but hard to explain. I notice small things every day but never remember them. Currently, I am missing snow.

Well I live in America but an hour and a half from the Canadian border in the Adirondacks and we are definitely NOT missing snow. LOL. If fact I would gladly send you the snow I have if I could. We have been hammered with several snow storms already.
On the serious side , I would imagine that adjusting to a new country as an adult, even coming from one as similar to your own would be a long, ongoing process . Were you shocked how little Americans know about their own politics much less other countries?

[DGUtley]

Warning

WARNING - Quit the bickering, name-calling, calling out and one-upping each other on who is or isn't an American patriot. The derailing of threads causes others to leave. Escalation will follow.

If you have questions or concerns about this moderation action, please use the Report button to let us know.

[Captdon]

I can't vote according to the guy in the OP.

I will answer, though - I don't feel overly patriotic here in the United States. I am sort of in a phase. I talk about Canada as home in one sentence then America in the next. I say "We Canadians" when discussing Canadian politics and have started saying that about US politics. I "feel" Canadian thanksgiving but celebrate US Thanksgiving. Same with Canada Day/July 4th. It is conflicting. I do not think that anyone from a western democracy can spend 25 years there and move here to the United States and totally adjust. Sometimes I spell it color, sometimes it is colour. I miss Canadian politics but I also now feel a certain amount of apathy towards the politicians and voting.

Some people have asked me about culture shock and I explain that it's definitely there but hard to explain. I notice small things every day but never remember them. Currently, I am missing snow.

There's nothing wrong with loving your nation of origin. You can celebrate both traditions. It;s the refusal to adapt to your new country that is the problem.

I feel offended my rallies and people waving the Mexican flag. To them I have contempt. I want them to leave.

Missing snow is beyond my ability to reason.

[Captdon]

Based on what? His interest in curtailing our unnecessary military activities and playing world police while we really can't even get our domestic $#@! together? Because if it's that or his belief that we should actually follow the Constitution then I AM in that category. You have simply badly misnamed the category.

No, I haven't. I didn't name it to start with. There's no "if's" or "but's" involved. You are or you aren't. I didn't ask or say about you being one. Do you need help deciding?

[exotix]

[Adelaide]

Well I live in America but an hour and a half from the Canadian border in the Adirondacks and we are definitely NOT missing snow. LOL. If fact I would gladly send you the snow I have if I could. We have been hammered with several snow storms already.
On the serious side, I would imagine that adjusting to a new country as an adult, even coming from one as similar to your own would be a long, ongoing process. Were you shocked how little Americans know about their own politics much less other countries?

You have made me jealous. I had a skating competition in Lake Placid once (in January, I think) and we went dog sledding on the lake. Was pretty awesome. That is a gorgeous area of the country. And LOTS of snow, haha.

Not shocked, but I have been participating on forums (including this one) since I was in Canada so I kind of already knew that the worldview (by Americans and by other nations) is very US-centric with reason, although perhaps not proportional. A lot of people don't realize that countries like Canada and the UK probably get as much news about the United States as Americans do, without the local news. The reverse is not true unless something special is happening in Canada like a Toronto Mayor smoking crack... but, I decided to start a couple new degrees once I was in the United States and after taking a lot of law classes I am increasingly aware of the fact that I never knew as much as I should have about the foundations of the United States and the laws, and that there are a lot of people in the United States who don't know and should.

[Ethereal]

So what, you havent done a single thing millions of other americans havent done before you and since and that doesnt make your view of anything right

Millions of other Americans did not voluntarily serve in the Marine infantry during a time of war.

Anyway, I did not say my service made me right. I said my service should be an indication of patriotism. I was pretty clear about that, yet you still managed to misinterpret my post, something you do quite frequently.