Sometimes i have a think about how a lot of the USA issues stem from being a country founded by violence. We invaded this land, killed most of the native people, spread disease, and abandoned any traditions in favor of making our own-

Problem is, those traditions are all violence based. And now 200ish years later, for a lot of white people, being an american is deeply set in the idea of freedom to do whatever you want for personal gain no matter the community cost. Its a very selfish mindset rooted in lack of-

-community tradition i think in part.
The USA became this new melting pot of people after the revolution, but we got stuck on that idea of rebellion and now that is our only real cultural *thing*. Some peoples have trad dances, clothing, mythos... we have guns and disease.

I think what im getting at is that basing our cultural identity as americans on the constitution as bible is promblematic at best. What other people base their cultural identity on their country’s founding laws/fathers with such passion?

Im white as hell and i grew up LOVING learning about different people’s traditions, holidays, religions, stories from their countries...but growing up non-religious in the midwest the only sort of community tradition we have is deer hunting season .

A tradition based on gun ownership and pest control does not make a good tradition.

What kind of stories and folklore have american colonizers created? The only one that comes to mind is Johnny Appleseed. He was an ill man wandering appalachia, getting beat up by kids, while drinking moonshine without shoes. Honestly? On brand for america.

This is just my thoughts idk. But in my mind, as a privileged white american, a lot of us have clutched so tightly to the violence that created this young country that ANY kind of change to it feels like a personal attack to our beliefs. And you know what?...

Its not that deep.

Idk what the point of this thread really is or if its just really a bad take. BASICALLY...The thought of American’s basing our cultural identity on spreading disease for manifest destiny in the modern world just kinda set my mind on a tornado so i tweeted it .