Letter to the Editor: Proud to be an American

As a freshman coming into EMU, the views I brought from home have most certainly been challenged. My view of the world has greatly widened. I appreciate EMU's diversity and meeting other cultures represented on campus, but I often leave forums, LSA activities, and BSU activities feeling a bit "uncultured."

At the recent BSU fashion show, I saw Africans cheering and coming together to celebrate who they are and where they come from. When it was called to cheer if you were from the United States, a weak reply came from the crowd, though it was obvious that half of the audience was from the United States. I even heard a nearby American say, "big deal." This greatly upset me.

Come on! Stand up and take pride in your country! I don't care if you don't support President Bush and the government. They are not America! Somehow being proud to be American became misinterpreted as being a Republican war supporter. I see the International students taking pride in who they are. Is it so wrong to take pride in being American? The government may make unpopular decisions, but that shouldn't make being an American shameful. Who I am is not determined by my government. Should I think less of myself because I have white skin and was born American? Of course not. I can't help where I was born, what kind of passport I have, and besides, why would I want to change it if I could?

To all the International students who take pride in who they are, and bring that to EMU, thank you! And to all who feel the same way I do, I just want to say, "It's okay to be white, and it's okay to be American. You are an American, so you might as well be proud of it!"

-Malerie Plank