**allow me to spew for a moment**
Recently I have been thinking about America.
At Burning Man, I saw a group of naked people stop hoola hooping on the top of an RV to sing the Star Spangled Banner as the sun set. I first smiled, then was overcome with pride. America allows the freedom I enjoy so much. Even if the people in power may wish I didn?t exist, America is built to make room for me.
Since then I?ve had some great conversations with my father. He is a judge. He is, quite literally, ?The Man.? He is also a brilliant thinker and very liberal in his politics. He believes in his heart that the US judical and political system is the best in the world. He agrees it is MASSIVELY flawed, but has pride in how good it is.
The more I read and the more I think, the more I agree.
There has always been corruption. There has always been evil men. There has always been treachery and deceit by rulers. The truth is that any organization gets corrupt as it gets large. And little is as large as the US bureaucracy.
But the US system is built with full knowledge that people can be bad. So it has checks and balances to try to minimize the damage that those people can do.
Yes, our system is flawed. Yes it has outrageous amounts of corruption. Yes it currently is a source of much shame.
But it is also a source of immense pride.
Which puts me in the strange place of being simultaneously ashamed and proud.
The recent Clinton interview on FOX and Keith Olberman?s defense of it made me feel that shame/pride stirring like I haven?t in a while.
This IS a great country. And I am PROUD to be an American.
J o h n Halcyon S t y n, Artist & Patriot
Links: if you haven't watched these, you should...especially Olberman's
Clinton's FUCK YOU to FOX:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...mann+cl inton
Olberman's FUCK YOU to Bush:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...ermann+clinton