I love a country that lives it's principles. The US has always had very high principles. We are at it's best when we come close to them. MAGA and Trump are a disgusting betrayal of those principles, with the added insult that we are wrong for not "loving" our country while they destroy everything it stands for.
I volunteered in a national park from 2013 till stopped as I needed to care for my wife. I gave over 200 hours per year and was proud to mix America's tale with that of Paterson NJ and its Great Falls. So I was clearly devoted to my country. (My volunteer job was interpretation).
But for now I despair of the flag waving so called patriot who is happy to dismiss me as the liberal he has been told to hate.
I stopped putting up a flag some time ago. I don't even remember where my flag is, nor will I go looking for it.
Celebrate America by lifting up the pieces and places that are good. And let me parochially suggest that -- at least on the East Coast -- Baltimore is the absolutely finest place to do just that. DC is obviously not the answer. New York is a very fine answer indeed, as it like Baltimore is bringing in tall ships at a scale not seen since 1976. But Baltimore: 1) matches the tall ship extravaganza; 2) offers an extensive airshow featuring not one or two but three national jet flight teams not over some exurban airfield but over the harbor and heart of the city; and 3) does all of this with a small city's walkable scale, a smaller city that is among the most adamantly opposed in the country to the current regime three dozen miles down the interstate AND which secured and exemplary victory over the Brits (in part literally right in front of my front door on Patterson Park) in the War of 1812.
Welcoming the ships from around the globe and more tangibly their sailors into our waterfront neighborhoods aptly embraces cosmopolitan diversity. Military aircraft aren't everyone's patriotic cup of tea (I'm a lefty but also the son of a hobby farmer/pilot so....), but the US, French, and British teams co-participation exemplify the strength of alliances currently disrected in DC; they highlight precision technology, production, and piloting. And you have a ringside seat FROM MOST OF THE CITY if you just look up.
So come to scruffy blue Baltimore, a port city that always has and still does welcome the world even as ICE makes my own neighborhood a place of fear for too many, a city that has a pretty good if certainly not perfect (see the 1860s, the redlining era, etc.) record as a street fighter for the good stuff.
With the country hosting other countries for the World Cup soccer tournaments and watching those cultures interact with regular Americans joyfully, makes me feel proud, at this moment, to be American again.
If Jeffrey Dahmer's dad still loved his son, can't we just love America?
All the polling figures mentioned indicate that the worst among us are a minority, when it comes to things like white Christian nationalism, xenophobia, etc. That's good, I suppose, but what does it matter when the country is run by that degenerate minority? What's to love about a system like that? And Trump did get the most votes, and was elected after attempting a coup and running the most vile and racist presidential campaign probably since the Civil War, running against a black/Indian woman.
Right now, it's awfully hard to love America, and even harder to be proud of America.
But where is your commentary on the DSA (dsausa.org) that is eating the Democratic Party? Are you unaware or just very attached to the Bulwark and the audience capture that Tim Miller has nurtured with his bizarro guests (from the I’ve Had it psycho lady to Mehdi to the Drop Site Hamas guy Ryan Grim to today’s antizionist freak Krystal Ball)?
I wrote a bunch of comments in the comments section for the “Krystal ball” Tim Miller show and am spent. I wish I could convince you to read them.
But, I don’t understand what is causing Bulwark, the publication that brought Charlie Sykes (snark plus humility) into my life, is now engaged in radicalizing people into batshit crazy antizionist libelous conspiracy theories.
Maybe I read too much into Jewish names. The Jewish Dems have certainly disappointed me. But you are are conservative! Why won’t you speak up and out against “decolonizing therapy”, which the APA endorses, and which classifies Zionism as mental illness? Why don’t you speak out against the genocidal liar Rashida Tlaib? Or the many Dem candidates with actual ties to genocidal jihadist organizations?
I’ve already left the Dems for the political tent city. But I’m not famous or influential. Does Bulwark pay that well? I thought Sarah was ethical; I still think she is. But she’s not a Jew. You and Bill Kristol could say something. But you don’t.
Sam Stein, the Wills, CJ Penney ate all disappointments. No idea how they actually feel, but their transactional silence leads me to believe they are all either self-tokenizing, cowards, or desperate for the job. And don’t get me started on Kamsky.
In case you haven’t noticed, there is a global narrative war on the Jews and it has one logical conclusion. Please pay attention to Einat Wilf, Adam Louis-Klein, Andrew Pessin, Naya Lekht, Gregg Rosenberg (whole story institute), Melissa Brodsky, Stacy Gittleman, and the others of us who are screaming the warning: it’s happening again! Never again is NOW.
Addressing the head of the table, despite Sarah's impressive talent and intelligence, I think she has tremendous blind spot for all this. Exhibit A is that her continued cheery insistence that Josh Shapiro is nationally viable is bewildering. Don't get me wrong - he's my governor and I think he's an exceptionally accomplished smart, moral and talented leader who's been great for Pennsylvania and I would love to consider for president. But I have every expectation the left would bring out the long knives with glee simply for who he is.
Well said, as usual, Mona. I completely understand why you differ from DeNiro, but I think you understand where he’s coming from.
I have a friend who is American. She’s also Mexican, by heritage, yet looks white. She planning and waiting to see when it’s time to get out of the country. I keep telling her that these fascists should be stood up to: this is OUR country.
So very well said. Thank you!
I love a country that lives it's principles. The US has always had very high principles. We are at it's best when we come close to them. MAGA and Trump are a disgusting betrayal of those principles, with the added insult that we are wrong for not "loving" our country while they destroy everything it stands for.
I volunteered in a national park from 2013 till stopped as I needed to care for my wife. I gave over 200 hours per year and was proud to mix America's tale with that of Paterson NJ and its Great Falls. So I was clearly devoted to my country. (My volunteer job was interpretation).
But for now I despair of the flag waving so called patriot who is happy to dismiss me as the liberal he has been told to hate.
I stopped putting up a flag some time ago. I don't even remember where my flag is, nor will I go looking for it.
Celebrate America by lifting up the pieces and places that are good. And let me parochially suggest that -- at least on the East Coast -- Baltimore is the absolutely finest place to do just that. DC is obviously not the answer. New York is a very fine answer indeed, as it like Baltimore is bringing in tall ships at a scale not seen since 1976. But Baltimore: 1) matches the tall ship extravaganza; 2) offers an extensive airshow featuring not one or two but three national jet flight teams not over some exurban airfield but over the harbor and heart of the city; and 3) does all of this with a small city's walkable scale, a smaller city that is among the most adamantly opposed in the country to the current regime three dozen miles down the interstate AND which secured and exemplary victory over the Brits (in part literally right in front of my front door on Patterson Park) in the War of 1812.
Welcoming the ships from around the globe and more tangibly their sailors into our waterfront neighborhoods aptly embraces cosmopolitan diversity. Military aircraft aren't everyone's patriotic cup of tea (I'm a lefty but also the son of a hobby farmer/pilot so....), but the US, French, and British teams co-participation exemplify the strength of alliances currently disrected in DC; they highlight precision technology, production, and piloting. And you have a ringside seat FROM MOST OF THE CITY if you just look up.
So come to scruffy blue Baltimore, a port city that always has and still does welcome the world even as ICE makes my own neighborhood a place of fear for too many, a city that has a pretty good if certainly not perfect (see the 1860s, the redlining era, etc.) record as a street fighter for the good stuff.
With the country hosting other countries for the World Cup soccer tournaments and watching those cultures interact with regular Americans joyfully, makes me feel proud, at this moment, to be American again.
If Jeffrey Dahmer's dad still loved his son, can't we just love America?
All the polling figures mentioned indicate that the worst among us are a minority, when it comes to things like white Christian nationalism, xenophobia, etc. That's good, I suppose, but what does it matter when the country is run by that degenerate minority? What's to love about a system like that? And Trump did get the most votes, and was elected after attempting a coup and running the most vile and racist presidential campaign probably since the Civil War, running against a black/Indian woman.
Right now, it's awfully hard to love America, and even harder to be proud of America.
I have to remind myself of what Heather Cox Richardson said recently. We wake up the next day and keep doing what we can.
I love this essay. I agree completely.
But where is your commentary on the DSA (dsausa.org) that is eating the Democratic Party? Are you unaware or just very attached to the Bulwark and the audience capture that Tim Miller has nurtured with his bizarro guests (from the I’ve Had it psycho lady to Mehdi to the Drop Site Hamas guy Ryan Grim to today’s antizionist freak Krystal Ball)?
I wrote a bunch of comments in the comments section for the “Krystal ball” Tim Miller show and am spent. I wish I could convince you to read them.
But, I don’t understand what is causing Bulwark, the publication that brought Charlie Sykes (snark plus humility) into my life, is now engaged in radicalizing people into batshit crazy antizionist libelous conspiracy theories.
Maybe I read too much into Jewish names. The Jewish Dems have certainly disappointed me. But you are are conservative! Why won’t you speak up and out against “decolonizing therapy”, which the APA endorses, and which classifies Zionism as mental illness? Why don’t you speak out against the genocidal liar Rashida Tlaib? Or the many Dem candidates with actual ties to genocidal jihadist organizations?
I’ve already left the Dems for the political tent city. But I’m not famous or influential. Does Bulwark pay that well? I thought Sarah was ethical; I still think she is. But she’s not a Jew. You and Bill Kristol could say something. But you don’t.
Sam Stein, the Wills, CJ Penney ate all disappointments. No idea how they actually feel, but their transactional silence leads me to believe they are all either self-tokenizing, cowards, or desperate for the job. And don’t get me started on Kamsky.
In case you haven’t noticed, there is a global narrative war on the Jews and it has one logical conclusion. Please pay attention to Einat Wilf, Adam Louis-Klein, Andrew Pessin, Naya Lekht, Gregg Rosenberg (whole story institute), Melissa Brodsky, Stacy Gittleman, and the others of us who are screaming the warning: it’s happening again! Never again is NOW.
Addressing the head of the table, despite Sarah's impressive talent and intelligence, I think she has tremendous blind spot for all this. Exhibit A is that her continued cheery insistence that Josh Shapiro is nationally viable is bewildering. Don't get me wrong - he's my governor and I think he's an exceptionally accomplished smart, moral and talented leader who's been great for Pennsylvania and I would love to consider for president. But I have every expectation the left would bring out the long knives with glee simply for who he is.
Well said, as usual, Mona. I completely understand why you differ from DeNiro, but I think you understand where he’s coming from.
I have a friend who is American. She’s also Mexican, by heritage, yet looks white. She planning and waiting to see when it’s time to get out of the country. I keep telling her that these fascists should be stood up to: this is OUR country.