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The premise of this question is: You MUST say that you love your country more than you love your President. If you don't, then you're a traitor, un-American, etc.
So what if someone loves Obama more than they love the U.S. itself?
I would encourage you to turn off all matters of television related to political and historical research, and conduct your own examination in your local public library, or private book store.
Scholarship, responsibility and strength can be derived in much greater and clearer quantities than in the hourly segment-based television shows that we, as a society, and a community of thinkers, are exposed to on a daily basis.
My challenge to you is, if you love your country more than your President -- if you love your country at all, and feel some sense of duty, don't let Glenn Beck or Keith Olbermann or any pundit do the work for you. Get out there and do it yourself.
You'll be amazed at the growth you can experience in that way.
Are you Barack Obama? I heard him say the very words you include in the first two paragraphs of your post today. I guess he is sure that since the news sources don't report what he is doing if he can keep people from seeing what he is doing he is relatively safe.
I also like to think that people will attempt to learn some history for themselves. I am afraid that too many won't, though.
I love my country, therefore I humbly suggest you read more books.
Anything. From quantum mechanics to Jenna Jameson's autobiography.
Just read.
I studied too much history in my days as a student and a teacher for 28 years and just can't allow fools to keep me from staying with history. I think that Beck has taught a great deal of history this week, but those who really needed help missed out just as they have all their lives. I think you may be one of those people.
Why must we love either? I love where I live and as of this moment in time, wouldn't rather live anywhere else. I'd be just as happy in plenty of other places, including <gasp>, plenty of other countries.
Why must we LOVE our country? Does this mean we love the decisions they make? I haven't supported many of the foreign policy decisions post-Truman. I don't support some of the domestic abuses either. Does this mean I'm out of the patriotic song and dance?
I've never understand rampant nationalism or why someone feels or cares for other human beings because they were born within such and such a radias of them and would they care or feel for them any less if they happened to have been born slightly further in another direction. Meh. It's a political boundary. I abide by the rules governing us, pay my taxes and do my best to improve my community and to be a good person that children can look up to. However, I'd do that wherever I lived.
I love my country, but I love it's Constitution more. When I joined the US Army, I swore allegiance to that Constiution and, so far as I'm concerned, I'm still bound by that oath. No matter who is in the White House, or what my country does or doesn't do, the Constitution is supreme, above everything but my God.
But, I find it humorous when the radical right starts preaching about loving "the leader," after 8 years of worshipping at George Bush's feet as if he were God incarnate. To his supporters, he could do nothing wrong, no matter how outrageous or un-Constitutional, yet if someone suggests that kind of allegiance to Barack Obama, it's suddenly a great evil. What a bunch of maroons!
And, by the way, could someone please name me ONE SINGLE President who never lied to us and delivered everything he promised?
I'll hold my breath 'till I get an answer on that.
Are you Barack Obama? I heard him say the very words you include in the first two paragraphs of your post today. I guess he is sure that since the news sources don't report what he is doing if he can keep people from seeing what he is doing he is relatively safe.
I also like to think that people will attempt to learn some history for themselves. I am afraid that too many won't, though.
No, I'm not Barack Obama.
I am glad you share in my optimism toward the power of personal discovery. I would suggest that your line of thinking runs along a course of personal responsibility.
You say you were a teacher for 28 years, and a student of history. I would suggest that if you were a teacher and student of history for 1,028 years, instead of just 28, it would still be more beneficial for you to open three books or three manuscripts or three documents than to watch three television channels. There is never "too much".
"Too much", is in other words, a covert submission.
I would also say that if you were a teacher for 28 years and a student of history, if you were... excuse me, a *good* teacher during that time, when your students asked you for some advice on trying to understand the historical and moral implications of taxation, of its fairness, of understanding equality, I hope, for goodness sakes I do, that you referred them to the public library, or to some actual research or factual text, and not a television screen.
What you are suggesting -- and maybe what you do is dangerous. Glenn Beck and Keith Olbermann and television personalities have every capability of providing authentic, accurate information, such as we have the access to it. The difference here, and the trade-off, is that these men are made much richer by sharing that information. Olbermann's hatred of Bush made him a richer man. Beck's critism of Obama has made him a richer man.
Someone with a genuine interest in knowledge -- in understanding a point, should never in this country or any country be forced to receive that information through a for-profit medium.
If you were a history teacher in my history department, I would be ashamed of you.
You want to sell something, to innocent people, to people you claim know no better even, that you know damn well is free.
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