This was a very short writing response to a question posed by my cross-cultural psych professor. I’ll admit it’s a bit more pessimistic than I usually look at things. But what can I say, I was on a roll.

What does it mean to be an American? America symbolizes freedom. We as a country arose from the ashes of a tyrannous England. We were the heroes. What does it mean now? It means to be rich, fat and happy. It means he who dies with the most toys wins. He who carries the biggest stick rules the playground. We grew too fast for our own good. We care not for world peace, simply world dominance. This “Land of the Free” concept that carried our country to fruition is the very poison that bites our tongue today. We’ve gotten so used to getting our own way, we’ve lost what it means to be compassionate.
In the beginning America represented good triumphing over evil. We were hard-working farmers and tradesmen rebelling against the corrupt tyrant in the hills. These are the stories of glory our children are wooed with in school. But we’ve had too much of a good thing. We grew bigger and bolder, every war, every conflict, every victory made us more resilient to the suggestions of others.
Now here we stand, drowning in 40oz. buckets of soda and Double Whoppers with cheese, blinded by consumerism, and spitting on anyone who doesn’t share the same. Then we wonder why extreme religious groups want to bomb our cities and terrorize our citizens. We’re no longer the beacon of civilization, the light to guide all other countries of the world. We symbolize an insatiable child greedy for immediate satisfaction. We’re just another power-hungry country amidst the lot. Just another shark in the dirty water.