Does Michelle Obama Hate America?

Predictably, the right wing fools are in the process of getting all outraged about Michelle Obama's "proud of my country" statement. Even probable Republican presidential nominee John McCain's silly looking wife Cindy got in the act, sarcastically saying yesterday in reference to Michelle Obama, "I am proud of my country," she said. "I don't know about you. If you heard those words earlier, I am very proud of my country." Aside form Cindy McCain's very unimpressive response, nearly every political show on radio and TV featured the story, and Bill O'Reilly really went there when he said, "I don't want to go on a lynching party against Michelle Obama unless there's evidence, hard facts, that say this is how the woman really feels. If that's how she really feels -- that America is a bad country or a flawed nation". Although I could write an entire article about the insensitivity and idiocy of the O'Reilly quote, I think it would be more productive to briefly explore how this whole incident illustrates an attitude that has always bugged me, and that is the childish, sweep everything under the rug, fake-ass patriotism that too many Americans choose to engage in.

First of all, anyone who cannot understand what she was really trying to say - that she is for the first time in her "adult life" proud of the political engagement of the American people - is probably dumb enough that they will be voting Republican anyway come November - so there's no loss there - although there are probably some Democrats who would criticize Mrs. Obama for this as well. But, the true meaning of her statement is even more obvious within the context of the Obama campaign - which has from the very start emphasized change initiated by the people from the bottom up. But, as to my larger point, what is wrong with Michelle Obama saying this in the first place? Are we a too immature, fragile and repressed society to discuss and make an honest assessment about what there is to be proud of and not proud of as Americans?

But, let's cut to the chase. What exactly is Michelle Obama supposed to be so proud of from the US government in her adult life? Michelle Obama entered legal adulthood in January of 1982, in the heart of Ronald Reagan's first term in office. What is there to be proud of that has occurred between 1982 and today? Well, lets see - to name just a few possibilities - we have seen the gap between rich and poor consistently widening; we have seen the deterioration of the middle class and US industry due to deregulation, the rise of free trade, and increased influence of multinational corporations to the point that they literally draft legislation in Congress; American politics has become increasingly bitter and dirty; the US has become an outlaw nation that invades and occupies defenseless nations based on false pretenses, tortures prisoners as a matter of policy, spies on its own citizens, stokes fear of terrorism to win elections, and refuses to engage in direct diplomacy with real and make-believe enemies; and more to Michelle Obama's point, the American people have become increasingly disengaged, apathetic and cynical as a consequence of all the above - and what she finally IS proud of, is that Americans are seemingly waking up from their stupor, and actively participating and believing that we the people can make a difference, and are realizing their right and ability to make government do their will. Therefore, "hope" is finally beginning to overtake fear from New York City, to Des Moines, and beyond, and as Barack Obama himself would say, and which he displays in the header of his website, "I'm asking you to believe. Not just in my ability to bring about real change in Washington... I'm asking you to believe in yours."

The so-called "conservatives on the other hand, would have us blindly stand up, face the flag and sing. Their idea of patriotism and love of country is to deny the existence of injustice, declare that we are the best, that we cannot get any better, and label anyone who dares to say, "Hey, wait an minute - we can do better", as part of the "blame America first", America hating liberal elite. This is regular practice for conservative big mouths, and the silliness of it is just unbearable. I mean seriously, do conservatives actually believe Michelle Obama literally hates the country she was born in and for which her husband is running for president?

Imagine if we all handled our personal lives by putting on a happy face, denying fundamental problems, and then refusing to solve those problems. This is what we call dysfunctional, yet when it comes to the issue of American patriotism, this is the way "conservatives" expect us to behave, lest we are accused of being traitors, etc. These people and their thinking are the ones for which Obama's message and promise fall on deaf ears, and their attitude is exactly the kind of thing that Obama proposes we should leave behind us.

Maybe I myself am being unfair in saying the following, but it seems to me that the only things that this sort of conservative thinks we don't do well enough is taking peoples rights away and killing people in foreign lands. Those are apparently the only areas in which they think we can improve, because according to their own statements, we need perpetual war and less civil liberty here at home.

The truth is that we would be much better off if we could confront our shortcomings, as well as our virtues, freely and openly. How else are we to progress as a people and as a nation? Therefore, we need to grow up, because criticizing government doesn't mean a person hates his of her country, does it? For instance, can't I be a NY Yankee fan, yet still criticize Yankee management? If the Yanks are losing, can't I still love the Yankees, but demand and hope they perform better in return for my ticket purchases and trips to the concession stand? Of course I can. The same principle holds true when applying this concept to our country, and especially our government.

The bottom line is that Michelle Obama being proud of her country for the "first time in her adult life", says little about the love she most certainly holds for this country. The only thing what she said indicates is that Michelle, and obviously her husband Barack, have high expectations of, and great aspirations for their country and its people. I'll take that any day over blind patriotism, denial and repression.