American hypocrites

It becomes more and more apparent every day: American society is a collection of contradictions. Or, if you'd prefer it in more blunt terms, we're hypocrites.\nOne might chalk it up to tradition. Thomas Jefferson, the man who is known for writing "all men are created equal" in the Declaration of Independence, never released his slaves. Simultaneously, Jefferson argued for the prohibition of slavery in new American territories. From the time of our nation's birth, contradiction became an everyday part of American culture.\nAnd the trend continues today. For example:\n• Americans admire those who can speak multiple languages fluently or who hold doctoral level degrees. Meanwhile, we find ourselves in an age of rampant anti-intellectualism, where students don't study until the night before a test and "Jackass: The Movie" takes in $22.7 million during its first weekend in theaters.\n• Despite living in a society where obesity has become an epidemic, any woman who tips the scales into triple digits cannot be considered beautiful. There is hardly a town in this country that doesn't sport a fast food restaurant, and yet the media constantly bombard us with images of men and women with impossibly perfect physiques. \n• While Christianity in America continues to stress humility, our country finds itself on a mission to assert its power to the world through the Iraq War.\n• As state after state bans gay marriage, roughly 10 percent of American adults are divorcees -- a figure higher than most European countries.\n• The First Amendment guarantees the right to freedom of expression, and yet countless groups continue to attack the views of others as "unpatriotic." In 2004, for example, Disney attempted to prevent the distribution of Michael Moore's "Fahrenheit 9/11" because it criticized President Bush.\nI am not saying that every case of contradiction in America is a bad thing. Such discrepancies are bound to occur in a country founded on the principle that each individual is entitled to his or her opinion. It is, however, cause for each of us to re-examine these so-called "American values" and their implementation. In some cases today, these incongruities are the result of a polarized America: Democrats versus Republicans, evangelists versus liberals, pro-Iraq versus anti-Iraq -- and people on each side are convinced they're right. But there are many other cases that have nothing to do with politics or religion, but more to do with culture.\nI would encourage all people to look at their own views and how these ideas stand up against their actions. Then consider how these things stand up against our ideas about America. Many of us will find some inconsistencies, and while it's OK to be able to entertain two opposing ideas or to be unsure about where we stand on some issues, we must be careful not to cross the hypocrisy line.