It looks like there’s a regular groundswell of opposition to the use of the word “homeland” when we in the United States talk about ourselves. Mickey Kaus wrote up a number of reasons why usage of the word is a poor idea and he’s right about every one. I think that the key reason I’ve seen mentioned several places is that I honestly had never heard of the United States being referred to as our “homeland” prior to 9/11. If we’d always talked about it that way, perhaps I’d feel differently, but suddenly having this creepy word shoved down my throat since then has been nothing but disturbing. I don’t think I’ve spoken to a single person who likes the word, but it’s not like I’ve been randomly calling people about it either.