I've been thinking about patriotism recently. There is so much pessimism, defeatism, and resignation to the fact that our president seems be bogging us down in a quagmire of lies, secrecy, and worldwide hatred directed at all we hold so dear. There are suicide bombers killing soldiers and civilians daily, prompted, indirectly, by our country's involvement in Iraq. It's easy to be a bitter liberal and think that hope can only be found in a well-chosen democratic candidate. But today, I want to start a list of acts of Americanism that we see everyday, and overlook for how truly valuable they are to our country. More than our military, who make the biggest and least repayable service to us, these are small daily signs of our inner patriotism:

*People pulling their cars over for ambulances, not knowing the person who's inside, just that he or she is one of us and it's the small thing we can do to help.
*That our ambulances will save anyone who needs them.
*In my neighborhood, Muslim Somali women can walk unafraid in full hijab.
*My students, many of whom faced challenging lives in their native countries, can learn English, and hopefully, do whatever they want with their lives, because of the opportunities in our country.

I know there are many more aspects of truly American behavior. What else should I add to my list?