I am unabashedly American with no desire to become a citizen of the world - at least not at this point in history. We are still the country that more people want to live in than any other in the world, and our Constitution is one of the main reasons they come; even if they don't know it.
Our freedom of speech is second to none. Some of our citizens took to the streets in Washington D.C. today. Some of them got arrested, but outside of a civil fine, that will probably be the extent of their punishment. Imagine someone trying to do that in Tianamen Square during the upcoming Olympics. With the world watching they have a slightly better chance of living, but past history has shown how freedom of speech is treated in China and elsewhere around the world.
Just as some of my fellow countrymen expressed their displeasure today, I too will take advantage of my right to free speech to say that I am still a proud supporter of our mission in Iraq. Like any other war, things go wrong, mistakes are made and the mission changes. The success of the surge is undeniable, at least to some of us, and I look forward to the draw down of our troops this summer.
Make no mistake, we still have thousands of troops in South Korea, in Japan, in Germany and elsewhere around the world. The missions those troops undertook were worth price we had to pay - from the boys of "The Greatest Generation" up to the present. The men and women who served in Vietnam were of the same make. They did not lose a war, their government and their fellow citizens did.
I am proud of our efforts to bring peace, stability, and the freedom for the Iraqi people to choose how they will be governed. A precipitous pullout of Iraq would give us another Vietnam, and the killing fields that sprung up in Cambodia after our bugout would have a good chance of blossoming in the Middle East.
I know many of my fellow citizens will find my opinion most distasteful, but I believe there are a lot more out there who feel like I do. Whatever your opinion, it's still okay to be proud that you are an American.
