I can certainly understand how your friend can come to be ashamed of America. I think America is in the throws of an identity crisis and has been for quite some time. There are multiple rifts of ideas and idealism that has split the american people into so many different factions, its hard to choose what it means to actually be an american. All the time not realizing that having the choice and the ability and right to choose is the essence of what were are as a nation and a people.
I'm not ashamed of our country or of being an American. The ideal of America, that of freedom in all forms is coveted by billions of people and immulated by countries around the world. I'm not happy with our current leaders, of which, come election day, I will express that unhappiness when I vote. But, we have to realise, we put them in office, we allowed them to dictate our current foreign and domestic policy and if your ashamed of that choice, vote to change it.
As for your friend R3d, tell him to join the Peace Corp and spend 2 years abroad in a second or third world country and he'll learn how privilaged he was to be born an American. A friend of mine did just that, he was ashamed to be amercian and thought he needed to get out of the country and actually do some "good". 2 years later, he walked off a plane, kissed the tarmac, drove straight to a McDonald's, and never again said anything about being shameful.
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