On Pride

I can't speak for all AWs, but I'm really tired of listening to Americans who say they're ashamed of their country.

Because Steve and I were just engaged while he was deployed last year, I wasn't living on base in a community of people who understood what I was going through. Though I met many people who were sympathetic to my situation (often they had a nephew in Afghanistan or a friend whose son was going to Iraq), most people felt removed from the whole War on Terror; it was something they saw on the news. Several times last year I found myself in a conversation with someone I'd just met, where they began to rant about the war in Iraq, Bush, how ashamed they were of America, or what a waste it is to be fighting the War on Terror. Some, interestingly enough, even claimed to be speaking for the soldiers, even though they'd admit that no, they didn't know any personally. And they expected me to join in the grumbling!

Instead, I'd let them go through their entire (frequently uneducated) diatribe, most often something they'd heard from an opinionated and probably equally tactless neighbor or coworker. Then I'd casually mention my fiancé, deployed in Iraq, fighting in support of Iraqi Freedom. I've never seen people stammer so much.

Of course, I don't begrudge them their own political views – I just don't need to listen to them belittle what my husband lays his life on the line to defend.

I haven't ever heard anyone besides Americans talk about being ashamed of their country; I have no idea when it became popular to feel this way. Even people from war-torn, poverty-stricken countries who've only barely escaped a corrupt government or lived through extreme persecution are still proud of their national heritage. Yes, they want a new start in a place where their families can be safe or have more opportunities…but they still love their homeland. I won't lie; I think we're doing a lot better than those places!

But we're a nation of imperfect people, led by imperfect leaders (and yes, that includes Obama – though I know that's a huge shock for some people!). We've always had presidents and other elected officials who've made mistakes. I'm not sure why, all of a sudden, people believe that America isn't worth respect.

The U.S. won't be able to always have policies that everyone believes in. We have been severely criticized for not doing anything when faced with major human rights violations such as the genocide in Rwanda, and yet the same critics will blast the U.S. for invading Iraq and removing a cruel dictator who was slaughtering his people – and we even stayed to help Iraq get back on its feet!

Sure, the U.S. has its problems - I'm not denying that. As a country, sometimes we make bad decisions with good intentions and we'll even make good decisions with selfish intentions. Despite these mistakes, I am still proud of my country.

I get asked a lot about what Steve and other soldiers think about the war in Iraq. I can't speak for them on their personal political convictions, but no matter what their views on the war, our soldiers aren't ashamed of their country. They may not always agree with the Commander-in-Chief, but they respect his office. They've all experienced too much to have a wide-eyed idealistic patriotism – but they do possess a down-to earth pride in the country they work to protect.