> What with the election fun and the approaching Thanksgiving Feast I thought I'd like to post my thought on what it is to be an American.
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> First, how do you pronounce 'United States of America'? I believe some one earlier pronounced it united STATES of america. Not me, that elevated the divisions in our country, the divisions between states, and by extension the divisions between whites and minorities, men and women, urban sub-urban and rural, east coast and west coast, north and south, rich and poor, immigrant and natural born. That isn't how I see it. We are the UNITED states of AMERICA. I was raised a vagrant, a military brat, I've lived on both coasts, I've lived out in the tundra that is Wyoming, I've lived near the tide pools of Monterey and the highways of LA, I've lived in suburbia, and on a rural route, and I've lived in the Shadow of an Active Volcano across the sea because Uncle Sam sent my father there. I've never considered myself a New Yorker, a Californian, a Pennsylvanian, a Wyoming, or a North Carolinian; I'm an AMERICAN. I love this country, from sea to shining sea. From the tip of Maine to the Rio Grand. To me America isn't a collection of 50 different pieces but one great whole, far more than the sum of its parts. I love this country so much, that despite the fact Batman has a better costume, more toys, a meaner attitude and will cheat, I firmly believe Captain America would beat him down because Cap is the Avatar of this Country and America RULES! We aren't perfect, we've stumbled, and we've done some terrible things, but we continue on and try to make up for our mistakes. So I say God Bless America and Happy Thanksgiving!
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> Speed'Oh say does that Star Spangled Banner yet wave, for the land of the Free and the Home of the Brave'ball

And they say we aren't patriotic anymore!
Howard