<p>I’m not really under the impression people put very much thought into it, it’s sort of a soundbite thing to me. No offense to anyone. I honestly don’t think they go over all the implications of the phrase or whatever. Personally I don’t say it because I’m not religious but that’s another story. To tell you the truth, people who cross stuff out are messing around in a lot of cases. If this happened at a high school or something, they probably just trying to be funny (some people have special senses of humor). Even if it was sincere, it was probably impulsive on both crosser-outters part, because if an adult stopped to have a philosophical debate with themselves about destroying property, after awhile they would probably step away from the pen. </p>
<p>However I appreciate that your point goes beyond this one example and is meant to be applied more broadly and in an ideological sense. And it’s an interesting point. But at the same time, I think it’s ascribing more ideology to the phrase than most people really have in regards to it. This sounds mean but I think of how else to say it - it’s sort of a “parrot” thing to me. People just say it. Which is fine with me, I mean it would be rude if they walked up to someone from another country and told them “God bless America” but at the same time as far as freedom of speech goes it isn’t the most offensive thing Americans have come up with. God Bless America is kind of one of those glittering patriotic things that just are - it sounds nice, and people don’t think about it. Because if you did, it doesn’t make all that much sense, like why WOULDN’T God bless America, are we begging or apologizing for something? But that’s not really how it’s meant. It’s an expression of patriotism to me, even though the actual words could go deeper.</p>
<p>Also “God bless” is usually invoked in a sense of appreciation, like when someone really likes something or feels grateful for it. This can be ethnocentric, and it can be not ethnocentric. Personally, I’m grateful I live in America. On the other hand, I don’t believe that problems in other countries are the result of their cultures being inferior to ours, but rather the result of exploitation. I think appreciation for your own situation crosses the line into ethnocentrism when you start assuming that if only everyone acted like you, they would have as good as a life as you do. This goes not necessarily just for global boundaries, but for demographic issues within our country, i.e. “they asked for it, they brought it on themselves.” I don’t really believe that someone with less advantages than me could just magically do the same things and then end up in the same place. This is unrealistic, but people like to think it, because the myth of the self-made man eases the guilt for those of us (I include myself here, not going to lie) who have more than they need.</p>