....cuz I'm proud to be an american....

Today was Thanksgiving. In my head, Thanksgiving is a lot like July 4th in that July 4th is celebrating America's independance from the British and our freedom and stuff and Thanksgiving is an American holiday all about being thankful for stuff and what better to be thankful for than freedom and a good safe life in a nice democratic safe country.
I was at a Yankee game a while back (GO YANKEES!) and of course they start off with the National Anthem. I think it's kinda sad when random ppl in the audience and especially the players don't know the words. I feel the same way about the Olympic athletes who win gold medals for America and they stand on their podiums and don't know the words to their national anthem. So sad. So I was at this Yankee game (GO YANKEES!) and they played the national anthem and one of my friends wasn't singing it. I asked her after why she wasn't singing. She said it's not her anthem. I said what do you mean? She said her country is Israel and not America and therefore the American national anthem is not her anthem and she isn't going to sing it. So we got into a discussion about that. She basically said she - as all Jews - don't belong here and of course she is planning on making aliyah one day soon. But until then, she's living here but it's not really her country so she's not gonna sing the anthem. So I said back to her that it doesn't matter who's country it is. America lets Jews live here safely and we can walk around freely without fear of being stoned or shot and we can walk in the streets wearing kippahs on our heads and tzitzit hanging out and sheitels and hats and we can leave work early for shabbat and take off for holidays and have tons of kosher food and have a shul on every corner that's safe to walk into and pray. And by the way, NYC street cleaning rules that force you to park on the other side of the street during certain hours used to be in effect on Saturdays and Jews would either find a spot that was good till monday or just get a ticket and too bad. Forget about random weekday holidays. Now, street cleaning rules are not in effect on Saturdays and they are suspended on all Jewish holidays! And how much money does America give to Israel? And without America's help, Israel would probably not exist.....except it would find another way.....but you know what I mean. So I think Jews in America have a lot to be thankful for while we still live here. It's very important to give Hakarat Hatov (recognition for something good) to anyone who helps you, even if you didn't reeeeally want their help. But they still did help you. Just say thank you. Just like you do to the bus driver or the waiter or the ticket person at the movies....I hope.....
So Thank you America for letting me live here safely, eventho I might leave you soon. But I'll be in touch.