last 5 wrds:
hugmobile
How
downers
danceoff
Generations

"pride "

I am conflicted.

A part of my heart soars whenever I see an American Flag or �United We Stand� scrawled on a sheet hanging from an overpass.

But another part of me is scared. I worry about what the flags and American pride mean to people.

I like the idea of camaraderie. I like the idea of brotherhood and sisterhood.

I don�t like the idea of �Our team is the best.�

It is dangerous. Pride is dangerous.

----

I remember in High school, I was pretty amped up on school pride. *Go Centurions!!!*

That pride is the source of one of my most shameful moments. The only occasion of violence in my adult life was at a High School football game.

I was in the stands and physically attacked an over-zealous fan on the other team. They started it, but what does that matter?

I became so filled with pride in �Us� that I found it easy to attack �them.�

Was I defending Good Sportsmanship or Fair Play? No. I was trying to destroy the bad guy in order to defend my team�s honor.

Am I saying this is what is happening in the world today? Not at all. World politics, Religious wars, and Trillions of dollars make the current situation incomprehensibly complex.

I only know that, even on its most simple level, we are playing a dangerous game. I urge honest reflection and compassion whenever possible.

----

The camaraderie I feel right now is with the world, not just Americans. I feel a Brotherhood with all the people on the planet who respect human life and freedom. (�America� does not always fall into that category. And there are billions of non-Americans who do.)

Honestly, I wish I had the strength to push HugNation harder. My �Team� includes every person on the planet and I wish I could hug them all.

Will it change the world? I dunno. I think a better question is, �Is it worth it to try?�


previous
| next

wrds index | cockybastard | email

page easily updated through Diaryland.com