Proud to be an American?

[arthoniel]

Earlier today, some guy went into the National Holocaust Museum in Washington D.C. with a rifle, and just started shooting.

He was taken down, but a guard was killed.

Ugh, and I was feeling so good about being American earlier today too. I had been watching Stephen Colbert in Iraq on my TiVo, and while I do not under any circumstances think we should be in Iraq, I still support our troops and what they do every day. And seeing Stephen Colbert, one of my idols, performing for them and all is just an amazing thing for me. I was so... patriotic. And I haven't been that way in... years. Certainly not under Bush. And then something like this happens.

Plus there was that murder earlier this week. You know, the one of the abortion doctor? Just because he performs abortions.

God, sometimes I am so... ashamed to be American.

Comments

[dewdropinn.livejournal.com]

I didn't hear about this until now. That's ... god. That's terrible. My mouth is still hanging open.

[arthoniel.livejournal.com]

...Yeah. It's just... unbelievable.

[engelen.livejournal.com]

Don't forget about that gay Texan mayor who gave up his chair because his partner is an illegal immigrant, and immigration laws do not recognize gay marriage (so they're now in Mexico...).

...

wait, I did not help at all D:
sorry

[arthoniel.livejournal.com]

It's okay... the horrible thing is? I'm almost used to hearing about people screwing over gays, just because they're gay... and gay rights is the issue I'm most passionate about. What a world, huh? :/

[irishgal487.livejournal.com]

Oh God that is terrible....*shakes head*

Some people just need to....be punched in the kidneys.

[arthoniel.livejournal.com]

Honestly? I think he needs more than to be punched in the kidneys. Much more, much worse, and much more painful... but then again, being Jewish myself, and having been there about a million times and all, I'm more than slightly biased.

[scholars.livejournal.com]

All countries suck. I'm ashamed to be a human.

[arthoniel.livejournal.com]

Currently? I'd have to agree with you. I think humanity has the potential for more, and I'm not ashamed to be human, but... geez, I'm really ashamed with what we're doing with ourselves.

[scholars.livejournal.com]

There are some decent people out there, but only some. Most people don't care about anything but themselves. They don't really care if other people die for stupid reasons or if the planet goes to hell as long as they themselves are nice and comfortable, so nobody ever does enough to stop it and nobody ever will. Humanity has potential to be much better than it is now, but at every point wee ever have to realize that potential and use it, we've failed miserably. And we fail every single day. It's why I lost faith in people a long time ago. Faily fail people fail.

TL;DR: HUMANITY FAILS.

[arthoniel.livejournal.com]

Well, if that's the standard you're looking to, then humanity will never reach that. Yes, some people can do horrible things, but more often than not people need to look after themselves. Self-preservation is the first instinct of every living being- even plants have means of protecting themselves first. But I'm thinking of times of great disaster when people have really come through. For example, on September 11. I know people did a horrible thing then, but then so many brave fire- and policemen went into the Twin Towers and sacrificed themselves to save others. I mean, this doesn't mean I'm an idealist. Far from it- I think most humans are utterly stupid, ridiculous creatures. But I haven't given up all hope on humanity.

[scholars.livejournal.com]

The fact that we even have to worry about self-preservation is just sad to me. We've managed to protect ourself from every possible predator except our own race.

[arthoniel.livejournal.com]

But that's true of any species. There are always some that will go crazy, and attack thier own. And with humans, because there are so many more of us than any other species (save, maybe, insects or something), it stands to reason that more of us go crazy. Also, we think. Of course some of us go insane.

[scholars.livejournal.com]

Well, we also have consciences. And it's not just some people "going crazy," you don't have to be crazy to do those things. There are lots of motives. And it's not just big things like mass murder and terrorist attacks, nowadays you can't go around outside at night without worrying about being mugged or raped or kidnapped or something, and it's incredibly easy to obtain guns.

[arthoniel.livejournal.com]

True, we do, but the people who do that think that they are doing the right thing. They think that they're helping people. And they think we're barbaric for allowing them to live. The road to hell is paved with good intentions. As for not being able to go out at night without worrying about being mugged or raped or something... well, that is awful. But... it's usually more just people worrying than something coming of that worry. I've lived in New York all my life, and I've been out at night alone plenty, but I've never even had to worry about someone following me or anything.

...Not gonna lie, this has turned into an interesting conversation where I'm arguing for humanity, instead of against it.

[shinigami-mimi.livejournal.com]

Actually I don't blame people's actions on the country itself. Because you look at other countries and they do things far worse than us or stupider. It's just the way human beings are. You can wish for the world to be a certain way but it never really happens.

[arthoniel.livejournal.com]

I don't blame the country for his actions, I'm blaming the country for not properly condemning it. I'm blaming the country for allowing people like him to exist, and to do what he did. Not that there won't always be psychopaths in any country, but that they exist here in the numbers that one of them feels like it's okay to just start shooting at a museum? That's what I blame the country for.

[deluziional.livejournal.com]

I'm not ashamed to be an American. I'm pissed off that there are fucktards out there who go around killing people on duty or people who think differently and put a bad name on us :|

[arthoniel.livejournal.com]

Maybe so, but we still get seen differently because of them. And that I get lumped together with these people... and we're all lumped together under the banner of "Americans"... that's what I'm ashamed of.