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June 15, 2018 - Millennial Times by James Adams Smith

Two Kinds of Pride

Years ago, I was sitting in a coffee shop having a discussion with a physics grad student, Amir, from Pakistan. As an English major, I knew next-to-nothing about science so my friend would fill me in on the latest research. An older man overheard us talking and decided to join the conversation. As he spoke to us, I realized he was not interested in adding to the topic of subatomic particles: he wanted to preach.

He told my friend, “Well, I imagine you’re from the Middle East somewhere, so you probably believe in God.”

“I grew up Muslim,” Amir explained, “But now I’m an atheist.”

The man looked astonished.

“If you don’t believe in God, then you don’t belong in this country.”

“Wait just a minute,” I interjected. “This man is my friend and he has every right to live here.”

He looked me in the eye, becoming angry.

“Are you an atheist, too?” he asked me. “Maybe you don’t belong in this country. Maybe you should be deported.”

“Deported? Where would I be deported to? Texas, where I was born?”

“You’re not acting like a real American.”

I thought for a moment. I could see the man’s hand trembling, a tea bag dangling from his cup.

“I see you’re drinking tea. I imagine that tea was imported from Asia, so if you are a real American, why are you drinking tea from Asia?”

“Well, that’s different.”

“I don’t think so. What do you think, Amir?”

“Certainly not American.”

The man looked down at his cup and left, embarrassed.

Later, I felt sorry for the man. He was clearly passionate about his beliefs. He wanted an audience and we wouldn’t listen. He crossed a line. I reacted. 

Real American. Perhaps none of us are “Real Americans” and that is what makes us so American. We are a nation of runaways, immigrants, and religious minorities looking to escape oppression. We have many beliefs. If we really did have an American religion, it would be animistic and polytheistic like the earliest North American tribes. We would speak the languages of the Native Americans, or Spanish, the language of the early explorers. The first wave of God-fearing English speakers did not arrive on this continent until the 17th century.

But I get it. We need identities to help us understand who we are. We want to feel part of a group, whether that group is the LGBTQ community, or the state of Delaware, or the United States of America. We want to be able to say: this is who I am, and I’m proud to be this person. But there’s a different kind of pride: the kind of pride that separates us, that fools us into thinking we are more American, more righteous, more educated, more ethical than another group. That kind of pride is dangerous.

One kind of pride can build us up and the other can tear us down.

Perhaps more than pride, we need togetherness.

We can be proud of our shared experience—laughing, crying, being human.▼

James Adams Smith works as an English tutor at Delaware Technical & Community College and is studying to become an occupational therapist.

‹ June 15, 2018 - It's My Life by Michael Thomas Ford up June 15, 2018 - Volunteer Spotlight - Eric Gannon ›

Past Issues

Issues Index

  • November 16, 2018 - Issue Index
  • October 19, 2018 - Issue Index
  • September 21, 2018 - Issue Index
  • August 24, 2018 - Issue Index
  • August 10, 2018 - Issue Index
  • July 27, 2018 - Issue Index
  • July 13, 2018 - Issue Index
  • June 29, 2018 - Issue Index
  • June 15, 2018 - Issue Index
    • June 15, 2018 - Cover-to-cover with ISSUU
    • June 15, 2018 - The Way I See It by Murray Archibald
    • June 15, 2018 - In Brief
    • June 15, 2018 - CAMPmatters by Murray Archibald
    • June 15, 2018 - CAMP Out by Fay Jacobs
    • June 15, 2018 - CAMP News - Introducing CAMP Rehoboth Intern Steven Ennis
    • June 15, 2018 - CAMP News - The Skivvies at the RB Convention Center
    • June 15, 2018 - CAMP News - Tom Wilson Weinberg July 13
    • June 15, 2018 - CAMP Rehoboth Opposes Revisions to Regulation 22
    • June 15, 2018 - Rescuing the Rescue by Stefani Deoul
    • June 15, 2018 - Straight Talk by David Garrett
    • June 15, 2018 - President's View by Chris Beagle
    • June 15, 2018 - In the Community Planting Seeds of Love by Glen C. Pruitt
    • June 15, 2018 - Intentionally Inclusive by Wesley Combs
    • June 15, 2018 - View Point by Richard Rosendall
    • June 15, 2018 - The Real Dirt by Eric W. Wahl
    • June 15, 2018 - June 27 is National HIV Testing Day
    • June 15, 2018 - It's My Life by Michael Thomas Ford
    • June 15, 2018 - Millennial Times by James Adams Smith
    • June 15, 2018 - Volunteer Spotlight - Eric Gannon
    • June 15, 2018 - Volunteer Thank You
    • June 15, 2018 - Eating Out by Fay Jacobs
    • June 15, 2018 - CAMP Critters
    • June 15, 2018 - CAMP Stories by Rich Barnett
    • June 15, 2018 - CAMPshots Gallery 1
    • June 15, 2018 - CAMPshots Gallery 2
    • June 15, 2018 - CAMPshots Gallery 3
    • June 15, 2018 - CAMPshots Gallery 4
    • June 15, 2018 - Out & About by Eric C. Peterson
    • June 15, 2018 - CAMP Cheers!
    • June 15, 2018 - Pride Fiction - June 28th by Stefani Deoul
    • June 15, 2018 - CAMP Arts by Doug Yetter
    • June 15, 2018 - Booked Solid by Terri Schlichenmeyer
    • June 15, 2018 - CAMP Dates - June 15 - July 9
  • June 1, 2018 - Issue Index
  • May 18, 2018 - Issue Index
  • May 4, 2018 - Issue Index
  • April 6, 2018 - Issue Index
  • March 9, 2018 - Issue Index
  • January 26, 2018 - Issue Index

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