The American Spectator

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p> BELLE OF THE BALL br> Re: Philip Klein's Michelle, My Belle : /p> p>Michelle Obama stuck her foot in her mouth. For that she has been pilloried. Can we now move on to something more substantive to talk about, or will conservatives be happy to continue emulating the obsessive nitpicking that defines hypersensitive liberals? br> -- Arnold Ahlert br> Boca Raton, Florida /p>

I've never understood how being critical of one's own democracy, one we are responsible for collectively, is negative. Would letting a kid do anything with constant praise be considered love? Or being a responsible adult? Since when is praise and constant pride helpful to nations or citizens. Aren't we supposed to be engaged, in a democracy, in making the nation and world a better place? Why this I am proud all the time? How is that a helpful thing?

I just don't get it, this America is special, any country is special -- it is rude, and strange, and leads to nothing. What if people came to your house and you kept saying I am so proud of my house, my house is the best house in the world?

It's weird, and I wish there was a way to have a real discussion on nationalism and civic responsibility instead of whether a relatively young public figure has had reason to be especially proud of her nation so far-- I haven't been since I was a child, that was the 60s and 70s -- I don't think Carter was great, or Reagan, we haven't had a great president. We haven't defeated the Nazis recently, and have instead done a lot of things I am ashamed of and feel terribly guilty about as someone who is part of this democracy!

Scratch the surface of our military industrial economy and how it affects the world, ourselves and the next generation, and ask, does this make you proud? I mean, why that word, doesn't work for me. I have enormous hope for my country, enormous, and would like to be proud, would really love that, and hope for that.

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