I love my parents, and I miss them very much. They were the greatest influences in my life growing up and they taught not just by words but also by deeds. They believed the best about others and expected the best. They taught me to be curious as well as courteous. They taught me a love of knowledge and a love for people, no matter their background or station in life. I am who I am because of them and I thank God fro them, especially when I observe other less stellar parental models.

But when I was in high school and early college they drove me nuts!  It was not an accident that I went out of state to college (4 out of 6 years) i could have saved money staying in-state, but that was not going to happen. I guess it's kind of a teen thing...needing independence. My dad and I got along better years later, but teen time was tough. my mom was a sweetie and gentle soul, but I was the baby of the family and I guess it was hard for her to see me grow up and want to fly away.

My parents weren't perfect, though they tried to do their best. My country is just the same. I love it because it's my home. I am proud to be an American, not because we are perfect, but because we have tried over the years to improve and stand for the right things. We shouldn't whitewash our history, but rather acknowledge the blemishes and learn from them. I say this as one who was not only born and raised here, but whose ancestry goes back to the founding of our nation and long before.

Some people don't want to hear criticism of our country. They chant "USA,USA!" to shout down critics and complain that anyone who calls out national faults is somehow un-American or is part of a "blame America first" crowd. That's nonsense. That's like saying you never should question your parents.

As we grow we go from thinking our parents know everything, to thinking they don't know anything, to finally realizing that the truth is somewhere in-between. As we grow as citizens we also go from accepting everything in textbooks at face value , to questioning/disputing everything, to seeing things in context and acknowledging the growth patterns.

know what you believe

Know what you believe...seems like a simple thing,right? Wrong. Many people never take the time to figure this out. They are raised by (mostly) well meaning parents who try to communicate their values/manners/beliefs to prepare their children to face the world. They communicate what they know and believe in order to spare their kids the task of having to figure things out that they (the parents) have already figured out...at least so that they can get a good start in life.

This is good at first - no need to reinvent the wheel - but at some point children need to foray out on their own and establish their own identity and be able to function on their own ,without their parents' help...because parents never last forever.:( This includes internalizing beliefs, making them personal, stuggling through doubt to stronger belief -and sometimes discarding things that don't fit or make sense. It is a lifelong task, which some have short-circuited by deciding to act without thinking -often taking up someone else's prescribed lists of acceptable behaviour and beliefs. We call it indoctrination - whether self-induced or dictated - either way it is destructive. We see it in politics, religion, business,etc.

The antidote is to examine oneself , our actions and attitudes, to find what we really believe and whether that is at odds with what we say we believe. What you believe will determine your actions, so take the time to find out what you really believe, not just what you say you do. For example, what do you think is our responsiblity toward those in this nation and in our world who are poor and powerless? Does your faith tradition/scripture have anything to say about that?
If so, what actions should you and we be taking to do about it?

For my own self I have increasingly become convinced that helping the "least of these" is a moral obligation, a societal responsibility and it greatly affects my outlook on social and political policy. But that's just me. You have to determine for yourself what your viewpoint is, because it is your belief.
Later :)