Love for Your Country

I don't love my country. In fact, I fail to see how it is possible to love my country. Now, I live in America, and, from somebody who's traveled a bit, it's not too bad here. The streets are fairly clean, one is free to say more or less what one thinks (outside of school, of course), and the standard of living is fairly high. So, I like living in the US. However, I could never love America. Loving your country is a bit like loving your race, or loving all those who follow your religion: it feels nice, but it's wrong. America is simply another country. It has its fair share of nice, kind folks. It has its fair share of misers. Fully half of its population is UNDER the average intelligence, as in any other country. Fully half is above the average intelligence, too. Just because you happen to live here doesn't make you in any way superior, or in any way special. Or, for that matter, it doesn't make you in any way inferior to anybody. It doesn't mean that you may not be special, or intelligent, or whatever, it simply means that you're not any of those things just because you're American. Being proud of being American is like being proud of being Christian: how can you be proud of that? If you want to be proud, be proud of your achievements! You've taught yourself quantum physics, that's a reason to be proud. Your artwork just sold for a whole bunch of money, that's a reason to be proud. You have just learned to read Kanji, that's a good reason to be proud. However, being proud because you can wave a cross or a specific flag? Being proud of where, exactly, your house is located? Where's the sense of that? You have no impact on America. You don't, in any significant way, affect it. Were your vote to count for a hundred votes, you'd still not affect the country one whit. Therefore, why be proud of something for which you're not responsible, of something that you haven't created or affected? Call me stupid (odds are some folks will anyway), but I don't get it. I'm not saying to hate America. That's as nonsensical as loving it. What I'm saying is: why have feelings for a giant chunk of land? Why care for a particular government? Love nice people, if you will. Be proud of belonging to Mensa, if you want. Those are things you can, and should, be proud of. But being proud of belonging to a giant organization for which there are no requirements, other than that you be born there? If your self- esteem is THAT low, I'd recommend you talk to psychiatrist, not write to your congressman.