Do you believe America is truly "The Home of the Brave"?

[Toots]

Or is America a scared sniveling nation that is afraid of it's own shadow. If you were brave would you need to carry a gun around with you everywhere? Why? Carrying a gun around is an indication of fear. You are afraid you will be confronted and need to protect yourself. Why? Why do you have that fear. Were you bullied as a child? Why is America so afraid? I don't sense anything like that in other countries I have visited especially Canada..They laugh at how afraid America is..

[LynnTheDem]

1. In a word...

No.

Torturing isn't "brave".

Illegally invading nations isn't "brave".

Dropping bombs on innocent men, women & kids isn't "brave".

Secret prisons aren't "brave".

Telling lie after lie after lie after lie that only Americans are dumb enough to believe isn't "brave".

Bullies aren't "brave". They're scared shitless & witless.

[saltpoint]

2. It is when we're talking about Harriet Tubman, Red Cloud, and

Bella Abzug but a lot less so when it's Scooter Libby, Linda Tripp, and James Buchanan.

[sniffa]

3. home of the cowardly, obese consumer

it doesn't go so well in song form though.

[melody]

7. why insult fat people? n/t

[sniffa]

8. was that really an insult?

i also left out ignorant in the qualifiers.

[melody]

23. To connect it to "cowardly" and imply it as a negative, yes, it was an insult

If you didn't mean it that way, why use it in a dyslogistic sense?

[ixion]

4. nope, we've become the Home of the Terrified

and land of the enslaved.

[whistle]

5. Congress seems to be over-crowded with cowards, Dennis Kucinich

...and the 23 cosigners of HR 333 being the exception and the odd whistle blowers who come forward and expose the wrong doings of those with power.

As for the brave men and women in our military who lay their lives on the line every day in the Bush Wars abroad, they are following orders and their own sense of duty and integrity for the job they signed on for, but is it right to sacrifice one's principles and life in an unjust and criminal war and call that bravery? I don't believe it is and that is why these wars in Iraq and Afghanistan must end now.

Support Dennis Kucinich!

[WritersBlock]

6. The Bush administration doesn't *want* America to be the Land of the Free OR the Home of the Brave.

Neither do their corporate masters.

Not enough profit in it.

[bunkerbuster1]

9. America under Republican leadership is a scared, sniveling nation.

We are scared of our own shadows. We think that relatively impoverished, fundie Muslims are going to "kill us all."

Democratic leadership will be more rational, less frightened. It won't be 180° different but it will be an improvement.

It will take many years to right this ship of state, and I don't know if it will happen in time for us to watch other nations take pre-eminence. Well, we had our shot, and we probably blew it.

[bemildred]

10. Used to be "land of the free" too.

We kissed all that shit goodbye some time ago.

[xchrom]

11. oh we are very brave!!! -- in our minds. nt

[Beausoleil]

12. "Land of the free ..."

"Home of the Whopper" - Peter Griffin

Says so much.

[zorahopkins]

13. Apathetic. A Pathetic

America is apathetic.

America is a pathetic.

America is not brave.

America is more concerned with Britney Spears and Tyra Banks other celebrities than it is with making Congress do the right thing.

It makes me sick.

But not apathetic.

[sinkingfeeling]

14. Hell no. Americans are paranoid. We're told what to fear on a daily basis.

When was the last news cast you watched that didn't include at least one report on a new disease, a new study saying you'll die from eating xxxx, that your Xmas bulbs are giving off lead, that Iran is going to bomb you, that the 'terrorists' are coming, that the blacks are going to shoot you, and on, and on, and on?

[jmg257]

15. Hmmm...over 1.4 MILLION violent crimes a year...nothing to fear here. Unless you like being a

victim. But then again, I carry a gun, so I am not afraid. What I do fear though is only that I may not have it on me when I need it.

Being unprepared through choice isn't brave - its stupid.

[magellan]

17. Being prepared makes you a boyscout

...but not necessarily brave.

[Solly Mack]

16. No

[DadOf2LittleAngels]

18. What?

"If you were brave would you need to carry a gun around with you everywhere? "

My daughter is peanut allergic so I carry an Epipen everywhere we go does that make me

a) A coward

or

b) Prudent

--

The whole premise of your BS post is that one needs to have no fear to be brave, thats absolute horse manure. By that definition *only* pacifist can be brave. True bravery is confronting fear not being stupid enough to have no fear...

[Bandit]

21. Are you suggesting the very great majority of Americans are stupid

for not carrying a gun? Should we do away with the police as well?

[DadOf2LittleAngels]

22. No,

Im suggesting carrying a gun != coward. The only one making sweeping statements about who is or is not anything are the folks who say carrying a gun = coward (like the OP).

I don't own a Gun and probably never will, my kids are too damn clever and I have enough things to keep out of their hands but I don't consider someone who does own a gun a fearful coward because they own a fire arm.

Cowards come in all flavors, some do own guns and some hate guns..

[Orsino]

19. Claiming other people's bravery is a fun component of nationalism. n/t

[DangerDave921]

20. Unfair Question

A country -- as a whole -- cannot be brave or cowardly. Those are attributes of individuals. So yes, America is filled with brave people. And cowardly people. And people who hit all different points on the spectrum.

As for your gun analogy, that is completely off the mark. Some people own and carry guns because they want to be prepared in the event of an attack. That doesn't equate with cowardice or fear. Is locking your door at night a fearful act? Is having a smoke alarm a fearful act?

[hunter]

24. Many, if not most of us, have the potential to be Brave.

But collectively, we are often a nation of fearful weenies.

Look, we have the worst president ever jacking around in our White House, a house that We the People own, a house paid for with the blood of true heroes and true patriots, yet now we are apparently afraid to toss him out on his sorry ass for fear of upsetting the system.

[bdamomma]

25. we used to be not anymore.

we are the home of the paranoia.

[piedmont]

26. Yes, I do. It's also the home of the cowardly, and everything in between.

And equating having a self-defense tool at the ready with being a coward is a well-worn meme.

[balantz]

27. Home of the Brazen