America is the only country I have ever called home. So far, it is also one of the two that I have visited (the other country I have been to is Canada). I was fortunate enough to be born here and I intend on being a lifelong citizen.

Just being here has provided me with a lot of things that not everyone in the world has. I am thankful for the rights and material benefits that I have just by being an American. It is not right that I do have as much as I do simply because of where I happen to live. Yet, it does help to make for a good life. That I am in a position that I come to expect certain things is a situation that shows I have much to be thankful.

I suppose I also exist in America at a good time. I don't know if it is the best time, though. Especially as at the time of this writing I feel that America at the cusp of a steady decline from the greatest height ever known in history.

America became the greatest empire the world has ever known as far as size, and I guess what I'll call freedom per capita. I do feel that now material overabundance has started to erode the drive of the American people to make America great.

I admit that I am just as guilty of enjoying the fruits of previous labor as any other American. Capitalism has always been an important part of the American experience, but at this particular point in American history capitalist concerns are more nakedly pursued than in the times building up from the ascension to greatness. Or at least it feels this way to me because I am living through it right now.

Money is the preoccupation of Americans. Just like Victorian England was preoccupied with sex, Americans are preoccupied with money. It is one of the main topics that do not come up in polite conversation, but is often the subtext between strangers and also of much discussion in private. Not so much with me. I have had and not had money enough to not care about anyone's money situation other than my own.

I would much rather have sex than buy something, but I will not buy sex. I think I should be allowed to, though, since that would be an increase in freedom. I am more than willing to accept free love. Perhaps I should start a free love archive in case you care about the love that I have been given. I gotta be straight up, only females need apply for such an archive.

I think my view stems from Reagan's administration helping to bring back the idea that being selfish is ok. The Great Society that could have been will have to wait until we as Americans realize that our strength is when we work together and for each other. We can, indeed we must, still be individuals in order for things to work well and naturally. I invite you to my dream.

Typical of this free trade era, ushered in under Clinton, the shirt itself can hardly be considered to be American. This shirt was made in Honduras by Gildan, which is a Canadian firm. The print was done by Springhill, of whom I have not yet been able to track down. In any event, these two firms seemed to have come together to make a cheap shirt. Cheap to produce and with a cheap sentiment.

Yet, some American bought the shirt, gave it to my Grandma and it ended up being left to my Aunt Barb to find this shirt and see if I would wear it. Yes, I will.

No, I do not wear this shirt as an expression of being proud to be an American. I would like to think that America has sold its own citizens out for something more than this shirt. I wear this shirt simply as a shirt.

However, I would hope that reader takes a moment to reflect on freedom. This shirt is free both in that was donated freely and that the most important thing to be proud about America is that it is free. Freedom is the great American experiment.

Can a federated republic survive while its people keep freedoms previously withheld from other civilizations' citizens as it grows in size? So far the answer is still yes. This write-up is being composed during a time when terrorism has replaced communism as the excuse to restrict liberty. Nonetheless, great strides have been made since 1776. America has become the most spectacular empire the world has ever known. Her people have created lots of things and have helped a lot of other organizations out over time. Although the distribution of that help has at times had misplaced execution, many times there were good, mutually beneficial intentions. America is the empire that does not always act like one for some and overdoes it against others. That the Constitution exists provides me the freedoms that I have to even express how I feel is vitally important. That I have choices available to me is equally important. I have am afforded those choices both by the ideas expressed in the Constitution and in the society that sprung up from those ideas. My voice is available to any who wants to know about what free shirts I have received in my life. I am able to interact with other people without too much worry for my safety or my freedom has enriched my life more than I could ever conceive. That the tremendous infrastructure exists for us to build upon gives me opportunities that I could never have built alone. If I somehow run afoul I will be afforded a degree of protection is still sort of in place. That you are not forced to even read this is crucial to the success of the free shirt archive.

As a united collection of states, America offers many different places to experience. So far, I have spent most of my life in the state of Ohio and I currently am living in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. I have visited, from West to East and North to South, California, Nevada, Arizona, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Florida, West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, New York, Maryland, Delaware, and Florida. I have also been in airports of Colorado and Washington D.C. So, I feel that I have experienced just some of what America has to offer. I have enjoyed most nearly I have ever been within America. There is a certain degree of uniformity, but also a great deal of diversity within each place within America I have been. Since all but about three weeks of my life have been in America I like how it has treated me for the most part. I suppose I have to or I would have to hate myself. Yet, I'm still in love with myself even though I have faults. I hope you, the reader, love me, too. One would almost have to in order to have gotten this far. Likewise, I love you, the reader, and I love America in spite of her faults. In people, faults are endearing. For countries, faults are things that we must change.

As a citizen, not only am I am American, I am a two hundred and some moreth part of America. I probably am not doing my part, but I am doing something at least. The only thing that I am asked to do as a citizen by the Constitution is to vote. Although the system in America has gotten off track with special interests and money, I love the Constitution too much to get rid of it. Therefore, I vote to keep the Constitution as I fear what could happen if we Americans were to lose it. Therefore, I encourage the Americans who read this write-up to at least vote. We got into this current mess by abdicating our check on the three branches that may work against our interests. At the very least, if you think I am a quack, vote so you cancel me out.
Some might take offense to my use of the term empire for America, but I feel that tremendous economic influence can be just as helpful and manipulative than the violent suppression that many other empires used to keep themselves together. Furthermore, Hawaii serves as a great example of both American power grabs and also of American benefits of power grabbing. At the most basic levels, I appreciate my life as I am allowed to live it here in America, but I do not agree with how we got to where we are.

It may sound like I'm coming down too hard on America herself. I guess I am just in that mood for this write-up. America is not the problem I have with this shirt. Proud is the problem. I am not one to get prideful about anything. The Great War shows what happens when too much national pride is mobilized.