Can you spell "xenophobia"? I knew you could. How about "jingoism" and "chauvinism"?
Along with the great pride in America on the entry into The War To End All Wars came tremendous discrimination against those of European descent, especially of German and Italian heritage but folks with heritage from the Balkans and Eastern Europe did not escape. Did anybody think that "Freedom Fries" were just a response to the French over Iraq? Have you ever wondered what folks ordered instead of "hamburgers" and "frankfurters" between 1914 and 1918?
I'm probably as rabid as the next person when someone insults the USA - especially if they are not a citizen. I'm also not one who supports blind loyalty and obesience.
With all that in mind, just how would you describe the pride in country that you want to support and encourage?
stay safe.
Humans will use ANY reason to put down their fellow man- his ethnicity, race, religion, job, hair color, freckles, glasses, fat/skinny, you name it. WWI didn't create bigots; they just came out of the closet.
Best thing about WWI was it got the bigots off the back of the Irish, and onto the eastern Europeans.
When I was a kid, other kids weren't allowed to play with us because we were (oh, horrors of horrors)
Catholic. When I was older, they couldn't be seen in public with us. They had no problem sneaking around in the dark, though.
I am proud of this country
when it sticks up for the 'little guy'. I am equally ashamed when we turn our back on equally deserving people who just don't have any oil.
But, show me a better country, and I'll be on the next plane, sitting next to you.