Everything After - A 9.11 Youth Circle

[demo] we've talked a little about how the media has responded to the events of 9.11, but i'm wondering how others feel in terms of their own nationalism/patriotism after 9.11. has your opinions of america changed? do you feel the need to be unified? in general, do you feel more patriotic?
[This is a sample discussion. Real Circles will open March 4.]

[demo] I don't feel that there is much of a change in America. At least not a drastic one in my life, because everything is pretty much the same as it was before this event (besides the fact that about every other building you pass may still have it's flag up.) I guess the only thing that made me feel more unified is the crowd that was lined up to give blood, to help. To feel that people cared not only for themselves. (Which I was there myself to help out because I know that if I were in trouble I would want others to help)
As a whole, people should be more unified and willing to help others but I'm not sure if I feel more patriotic then before.
[This is a sample discussion. Real Circles will open March 4.]

[demo] It's interesting to see all of these proud American flags when less than a year before 9/11 we were all cursing the democratic system because of the 2000 election. Although I was born here, I can't help but feel as though I'm not American enough since I critize it so much. I don't believe there is any unity because we still scapegoat so many groups of people. The day we become unified is the day that we all can come together no matter what race, creed, religion, sexual orientatation, etc. you are from.
[This is a sample discussion. Real Circles will open March 4.]

[demo] I feel as if the country was more aware after 9/11. The country has unified in some ways but not the way we need to. The people helped each other out and supported each other but there is still a lot that needs to be done to unify the whole country. It shouldn't have taken us this long to work together and realize that without working together we won't achieve anything. As for me i felt that it has changed me in some levels of patriosm i felt that the country was shocked and needed support from each other. I can't donate blood but in school i helped to raise money and donated it to firestations.I felt as if I had to do something to help out.
[This is a sample discussion. Real Circles will open March 4.]

[demo] I think its a right of every individual to love his/her own country, be it America or Afghanistan. After 9.11 there was an obvious new sensation of nationalism and patriotism among Americans. Thats totally natural. Not ALL Americans know what their government is doing abroad. Not ALL of them understand the reasons for a person to go and blow him/herself up. But ALL Americans did see the terrifying video clips of the WTC attacks. ALL Americans did hear Bush waging "war" on terrorism. For many seeing and hearing these things was enough to stir a long-lost of national identity. A new sense of " American and proud". Being a total non-American, I wasn't shocked at all by seeing many people wearing pins of the American flag, or the many different types of flags hung in different places. There is nothing wrong about being nationalistic or patriotic. The danger is when those feelings of nationalism turn to unilateral viewing of the world.
[This is a sample discussion. Real Circles will open March 4.]

[demo] I like to look at the world as a unity within itself and i think that patriotism can easily funk up the flow. i think it's fine to be proud of who you are, the positive aspects of your country, etc., but i think it's really dangerous when you add ego to that pride and begin imposing your beliefs on others or if you fail to recognize the faults within your life or country. i don't feel patriotic, the events of september 11th actually make me feel less patriotic. but i do feel more protective of new york in this weird way. i'm not sure if it's because of 9.11, but if anyone says anything bad about ny- i get defensive and feel the need to give appreciation to my city, which is something i never did before.
[This is a sample discussion. Real Circles will open March 4.]

[demo] I see my patriotism, or lack thereof, as taking two forms: cultural and political. With respect to both, I have both pride and disgust. Culturally, I find the commercialism and excess disturbing. At the same time, I actively consume, process, and enjoy the very movies and music, as two examples, that are churned out of the same system that produces such excess. I think this is true with many of us. The political side is similar.
Similar to these feelings, my sense of patriotism has after 9.11 has the same format. I have become both more and less patriotic. I feel a need to recognize and condemn the hegemonic tendencies of U.S. foriegn policy. But in this criticism of the U.S., I find myself constantly coming back to the question of whether I would want to live anywhere else in the world - not to knock something before I have tried it, but I wouldn't. I cherish the U.S., its people, culture, and poltical freedom with all my heart, even when I condemn so much of its political and cultural action.
I know I didn't really answer the question of if we should be unified.
[This is a sample discussion. Real Circles will open March 4.]

[demo] I think I feel a lot more patriotic now than before 9/11. I am proud to be an American. In many cases when I have talked to people about being American - it was always tied to the notion of "white America", or mainstream America. Because of this recent tragedy, people from diverse backgrounds have come together to help deal with the pain that was felt by the terrorist attacks. Being an American no longer refers to one culture, one color or one nation but a world of nations. As young people living in the United States we must carry that over to the next generation. The idea of having unity amongst a diverse generation of people, is amazing.
[This is a sample discussion. Real Circles will open March 4.]

[demo] smooth cirminal, i understand your point of the unifying of people of different cultures and the decentering of white america, but what about being pround of america as a whole? have the events of 9.11 affected the way you think of america as a country? like, are you proud of what we do as a nation, politically, socially, whatever? i feel like with all this patriotism people are overlooking things that we as a nation do wrong.
[This is a sample discussion. Real cirlces will open March 4]