By Tamara Enz
Cynicism and sarcasm toward my country and its future are hard for me to get around these days; sometimes I trip over them in unexpected ways. This was clear recently when two European friends and I spent a month traveling together in the American West. We discussed the current state of America — the political climate, the gutting of national healthcare, the disenfranchised majority, the “love it or leave it” attitude, the obvious homeless populations, and the nation’s vast resources.

At some point, one of my friends, in his extroverted and exuberant way, began saying, “’Merica! Fuck, yeah. God bless.” I was amused, of course. This epitomizes what is both great and not so great about America.

I was somewhat annoyed by this antic. It was perplexing. Although I’m not patriotic, being an American citizen has brought many advantages for which I am grateful — among them…