I am not ashamed to be an American.

[Obamanaut]

I am a man and not ashamed of it. There are, have been, and always will be men who are rapists, abusers, poor providers, despicable people. I am not one of those, most men are not, and I am not ashamed.

I was in the military for 28 years, and I’m not ashamed. There are military members who are rapists, abusers, poor providers, murderers, despicable people. Most military members do not behave in such a fashion, but instead are parents, children, tax-payers, home buyers. I am not ashamed to have been a military member.

I am an American, and I am not ashamed . I am embarrassed by some of the things SOME of my countrymen do. I have not done these things, and do not intend to do so. But just because SOME Americans are scum, and behave so, does not make me ashamed to be an American.

During my military career I visited many other countries. My friends and I were treated with courtesy and respect everywhere we went, and we offered courtesy and respect to our host nationals overseas. We made an effort to learn enough of the local customs such that we could be accepted by the people in whose towns we happened to be. Perhaps our experiences were pleasant because over the course of my 28 years I chose the types of people I would associate with off the job carefully. Over those years there were many different associates, friends, fellow travelers, representatives of the Navy and the U.S. - call us what you will - but we had several things in common: we were proud of our jobs, the Navy, our country, and each other. We chose not to make fools of ourselves.

I am not, and have not been, ashamed to be an American.

[niyad]

1. there are, however, a lot of americans of whom I am ashamed.

[islandgirl808]

2. ditto

[knowbody0]

3. thank you for all your years of service

I feel the same way, I am proud to be human, American, and Irish. I do feel shame for the things done in our name, and carry a strong desire to make up to those we have harmed for no good cause.

[izquierdista]

13. Ethnic and national pride

The best explanation of it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cwOqKfEYTg

[BuyingThyme]

4. I ashamed about all those reality shows.

[Forkboy]

5. Two words....

Carrot Top

[Obamanaut]

16. Two more....

Potato Head

[Forkboy]

17. Wait, that was a brilliant toy!

:D

[Obamanaut]

21. Not when you step barefoot on one of the little parts hiding in the carpet.nt

[Skidmore]

6. My brother is retired Navy.

We're proud of him and he's proud of his service. His wife is still in the Navy.

[seabeyond]

7. i am a woman and there are a lot of wrongs women commit and i am not ashamed. i DO recognize

the wrongs though, and i speak out against the wrongs, never being quiet and allowing it to be.
i feel i have a responsibility with my gender to speak out against them

i am also a christian and not ashamed. i do speak out against the christians that do damage. being a christian i feel i have more influence and may better help with the issues in speaking out and against

[stillcool]

8. I've got plenty for both of us..

[oxygen destroyer]

9. In other words, you are shameless

[niyad]

11. welcome to DU

[Obamanaut]

14. No. It's simply that I feel no shame for having been born where I

was born. It was totally out of my control, so there should be no personal shame for it.

[Obamanaut]

15. self delete. duplicate post

[mix]

10. How then do you feel about the history of our country?

How do you reconcile, for example, the good--defeating Nazism--with the bad--Manifest Destiny?

Can you be honest about the fate of Native Americans and slavery and still not be ashamed?

It does not seem to me that being a patriotic American precludes shame for the many things done in our name.

[Fumesucker]

12. It isn't just "some"...

GW Bush got more votes in 2004 than in 2000, at that time we knew he was a torturer an idiot and a failure.

It's "one hell of a lot"..

[tabasco]

18. OOhhhhkay.

Me too.

[Bluebear]

19. OK then! What brought all of this on?

[Obamanaut]

20. This thread

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=5550065&mesg_id=5550065