tenlittlebullets | (no subject)

I have the most bullshit assignment ever from Gov class--a page and a half essay on why America is so great that 600,000 people would die defending it in the past century. Even though, you know, it has nothing whatsoever to do with economics--our current unit--and the few soldiers who actually died with the intent of defending America (as opposed to, say, being drafted or fighting for the guy next to them in the foxhole) did it for the same reason other people die to defend their countries. I know he's expecting two pages of propagandist drivel on why America is teh bestest country out there, but to be perfectly frank Mr. E, we're all far too cynical to buy into that crap.

The problem? It's worth 50 points, possibly more. *growl*

Here's what I think: I think that flag-waving is bullshit, and that just because American nationalism is focused around an ideal instead of an ethnicity doesn't mean it's not nationalism. I think the Founding Fathers were very brilliant, revolutionary men, and in 1776 there's no other place I'd rather have lived than right here. But America no longer has the sole claim on freedom and democracy, and is so caught up in we-were-the-first still that we've let our precious freedoms slide and allowed our government to get more restrictive.

I believe that people love America because the government cannot pass a law that allows secret searches, or people to be held without trial or lawyer. Because our Constitution is a special, almost sacred document that could never be amended to limit our rights or legislate morality. Because we would never lock up one of our own ethnic minorities in internment camps in the name of fighting oppressive racist regimes, or curb freedom of speech in time of war against a totalitarian empire. That is America to me--which means I should probably move out to Canada soon, eh? Just because we invented democracy as it's known today doesn't mean we perfected it.

Okay, rant over. I still have no idea what to write for the damn essay.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Do what I usually do in a situation like this. Write the flag wagging, apple pie, goody two shoes bull shit for a paragraph, and then go into the REAL reasons most of these men died. Your teacher may just appreciate that he doesn't have to read the same crappola again with your paper.

Luckily, most of the honors teachers at my high school liked when students were honest like that and gave an actual opinion instead of dragging out "Propaganda for Dummies." And in college you can have any opinion you wish as long as you turn in the paper on time.

Good luck.

Maybe you could write an essay that talks about why people think America is great, and then shoot down the ideas one by one.

Geh, he'd probably fail me. Then again, if I don't cut the sarcasm on what little I have written, he'll probably fail me anyway...

Guh. I go to a Catholic high school, and theology is required all four years. While this obviously came as no big surprise to me, I eventually had to learn to swallow my pride and deal with the fact that some theology teachers here grade you on your opinion. My theology teacher this year isn't like that, but my freshman teacher was probably the biggest, sappiest pushover when it came to writing papers about just how much you looooooove Jesus. Teachers can be so full of bullshit sometimes, no?

And as a final note, I concur with your statements about flag-waving.