A quick primer for those of you who have never in your adult life been proud of your country.
On this July 4th, remember that for every political scandal, needless neocon war or story of how we’re hated the world over, you can reflect on these too:
Foreign Aid
USAID With a 2007 budget of 1 Billion
The United States gives more to those in crisis than any other country in the world. USAID is the U.S. Government agency that is responsible for directing these contributions to thousands of non-profit partners and international organizations like the World Food Program and UNICEF. In tandem with these organizations, the agency helps those affected by disaster to cope and then begin again by converting crisis situations into opportunities to promote peace, democracy, and economic growth. USAID ensures that all of this assistance is spent in the way that most effectively helps those who are in need.
World Vision – Assisting in the Myamar Cyclone recovery.
U.S. Navy
The arrival of the USS Kearsage near the Bangladesh coast came as authorities and aid workers warned that Bangladesh faces acute food shortages after the devastating storm destroyed crops and homes across a large swath of the country.
“We are here to help the people in their time of need,” Adm. Timothy Keating, the top US military commander in the Pacific Ocean, told reporters.
The first ship arrived on Thursday and Keating said a second ship, the USS Essex, would arrive in coming days, with assistance at the request of the Bangladeshi government.
The ships are each carrying about 20 helicopters that will help deliver water, food and medical supplies to survivors, US officials said. The ships will co-ordinate with the Bangladeshi military.
Immigration
Though very few real immigration stories are of the “rags to riches” variety, read why people still flock to the United States.
I am 25 years old, I was born and grew up in Mexico. I came to the United States 5 years ago. Before I came to the U.S. I used to live in Mexico City. I was studying at a preparatory school and I was working in a shopping center as a cashier. In the morning I had to work and in the afternoon I went to school. At that time I was planning to go to the university and be succesful like others guys ofmy age, but destiny had been prepared another way for me. I was living with my mother and one of my sisters whomI knew 8 years ago (she was 22 years old and she had been raised by another family). After that exciting day when my mother and I met my sister we lived so happily for the next 3 years but happines is not forever and a black day would come. It was during the first days of March of 1991 when my mother got sick and she had to be hospitalized, after a few days, my mother died and my life turned and took another way. It was so hard for my sister and me to live in the house because we were always remembering when my mother lived with us and we were always crying so we decided to come to the U.S. with one of my brothers that lived in San Diego. After 3 months we decided to come to Santa Ana to live with one of my aunts. Then here in Santa Ana I got married 3 years ago and now I have a son who is two years old and I plan to start some business here in the U.S. or go back to Mexico and go to the university with my wife. I can say my mother would be so proud of my life now.
-Ignacio
My name is Trinh. I am from Vietnam. I was born in a small village in the north. In 1954 a big war happened there because France and communist fought a long time. After the Geneva meeting, my family decided to escape my village and went to the south Vietnam by a small boat. We had been living in the south for about thirty years. I am married and have 4 children. My husband was a teacher and also a soldier because at that time my country need teacher to change to soldier. There was a big war again and many people died by the bomb. We couldn’t count them, and the communist killed many people, and many houses burned. After 1975, my family decided to leave my country by boat one by one. We went to a Malaysia refugee camp in 1984. We had been living in the camp about 15 months. We have been on a waiting list to come to the US. We left the refugee camp and went to the US by plane. Now I am living in Santa Ana. I have been living in the US since 1985. When we first time we came here, we didn’t have anything.
We had to start our life over again. We read the newspaper to find a job, and we did a lot of different jobs and we worked overtime every day. After one year my children went to college and they had to study and work. After four years they graduated from Cal State Fullerton. They are working at big company with good salary and good benefits. Now we are very happy to live in the USA because we are living together. We have freedom in our life. We bought a house and cars. We are satisfied with our children. I have been studying English as a second language. I hope in the future my English is better. I am happy because I just passed by citizenship oral interview last week. I will become an American Citizen soon.
-Trinh
It is really easy to gripe, but between $150 fill-ups this weekend, remember how the United States is a true force for good (not perfection) and offers us so much for which we can be thankful.
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July 3rd, 2008 at 5:04 pm
They should let you loose on the other side of the page from that guy at the Philly Inquirer, Cranky.
Touching, in an I-don’t-have-to-file-a-restraining-order kind of way.
July 4th, 2008 at 10:05 am
[...] at Six Meat Buffett has some July 4th [...]
July 4th, 2008 at 11:25 pm
well said. standing o.
July 5th, 2008 at 12:36 am
Bah…none of that is worthy of pride.
Naturally, you didn’t even mention that for the first time a black man is in a position to win the presidency, despite overcoming overt racism such as is commonly found on this site…despite the financial constraints of student loans and a $1.2 Million mortgage imposed on him by white society…despite the grind of having to campaign in 57 states instead of the dozens fewer his
crackerwhite privileged opponent has had to.Now that is something I can be proud of…
July 9th, 2008 at 5:06 pm
Thanks Cranky – top-notch post.
Somehow I don’t think M. Obama is going to be proud unless her husband gets his name on the door. Being a part of the country just ain’t enough.
g
July 10th, 2008 at 8:23 am
Thank you LK and zoey. BTW, why do a cat and lemur appreciate this post? Are we truly an inclusive inter-species blog? I hope so.
July 10th, 2008 at 9:59 am
Lemurs are intensely patriotic creatures, no matter how twitchy we may be. I enjoy seeing this sort of thing because the world seems to love focusing on the small negatives rather than the huge HUGE body of GOOD things we do in the world. It is unfair and largely unappreciated.
Lemurs are not species-ist. Some of my best friends are cats. As well, a lot of my friends are meat.
While it might be construed as pimping/hijacking, I posted an excellent defense (by Arthur Herman) of the Iraq invasion based on actual factual history last night. Some of it surprised me. It is easy to let historical revisionists change the facts as they have gradually since 2003 (and before, actually) but this kind of causes the whole complex mess to gel.