Some people in America, who consider themselves to be patriots, react in anger against any comment anyone in America makes that is critical of America.
America is a great country.
We did not become a great country by being unwilling to criticize ourselves as America.
It is very important that a country, nation, organization or community be willing to be self-critical.
That is how we learn.
If we expect America to do good in the world and be a good nation, then we need to be free to be self-critical as America.
How else will we ever know if we are doing good as a country?
When someone is critical of playing the national anthem at a basketball game or a football game, that kind of criticism is how we know whether or not we are doing good as a country.
Whether or not that criticism is justified, we need to be free to make it.
How will we ever know if the national anthem is being used to represent what it is supposed to represent if we cannot criticize playing it at sporting events?
How can we ever know if we are treating Mexican immigrants unfairly if we cannot criticize America's immigration policy?
How can we ever know if America is living up to its ideals if we cannot criticize America?
This is how we became great as a country.
If we are to continue to be great, we need to be free to criticize America, whether that criticism is justified or not, as once Thomas Jefferson and the Founding Fathers criticized the King of England.
For this is how we know if we are doing good.
A country needs to be free to be self-critical.
God loves you! But we have to lead this country ourselves! For He made this a participatory world!
We'll get through this!
Sincerely,
David S. Annderson