The French girl (me!) dares talking about the 4th of July...!
I love you guys, I love your people, I love your language and your culture too, I've been so warmly welcomed when I went to the US. It's so different from where I live. This sense of community that you have is truly beautiful.
I don't know what being patriotic feels like. I don't know that feeling. At all. My country doesn't define me and being French isn't a pride or anything, I don't care about it to be honest.
Anyway, freedom is important, it's the most precious thing but I see less and less of it. I'm interested in global politics, in knowing who pulls the strings of this or that, in the interests between big companies and governments, in how the media is the greatest weapon of control...
I do believe the declaration of independence was a great promise. But I'm bitter. What's left of it is so... small. I seek the truth all the time but it's often ugly to look at.
I'm positively against wars and I'm sorry you still have kids stuck in something they don't even understand. There are people on the top that don't give a damn about you and their own interests have no limits. And that's so sad.
I hope I'm not offending anyone. The real treasure doesn't reside in politics agreements. We only know 10% of the real facts, of the real interests, of the real reasons, of the decisions a government makes.
The real treasure is us, it's you and the things we can do together, with our friends, our family, our partners, complete strangers too. Many things around us are unstable, especially now, but we are a reliable and constant source of hope and our feelings are real. That's the only thing I know.
Have a lovely day,
~ Louise
About 7 years ago, I was ashamed of what America had become. The popular media and grandstanding politicians put their brand of "patriotism" first and freedom somewhere else. Americans were so excited about going to war that they confused politics and corporate manipulations with patriotism. Those who opposed the war were censored and called un-American.
There was a big backlash - a ridiculous backlash - against Germany and France for not supporting the U.S. war campaign. Ironically, America's favorite foods have German and French names. Hamburgers, Frankfurters (hot dogs) and French Fries are all-time favorites at 4th of July picnics. The awkward "patriotism" of the time said we couldn't have anything French on our American menus so "French" fries was renamed "freedom" fries. That's how silly patriotism became in America.
They call me an ex-patriot because I live outside the U.S. I think it's an misnomer. I am not proud of America's mistakes, but I am patriotic in the sense that I want America to succeed in it's founding ideals. Freedom of expression and freedom to pursue happiness are embedded in the American psyche and I think this has encouraged many entrepreneurs. If Americans return to these ideals and not let their freedoms be siphoned away by politicians and corporations, America will again be worthy of the praise it used to receive. I, for one, am encouraged that the current president of the U.S. shows leadership and works very hard to restore America to the freedom-loving status it once had.
Louise, your admiration of the U.S. is touching. And you might also be proud of your French heritage - whether you feel patriotic or not. After all, the American Revolution was nearly concurrent with the French Revolution. Independence Day and Bastille Day are only 10 days apart, aren't they? One of the greatest land purchases by the U.S. was the Louisiana Purchase - where you can still see traces of Canadian French culture. And America's foremost symbol of freedom, the Statue of Liberty, was a gift from France. (The French Girl at WA is another gift!!)
On behalf of other Americans living overseas, thank you for your post and your kind thoughts.
