My friend Susan (who is an amazing woman) wrote the following for a
talk radio show who asked for reasons to love America. I wish I had
written it. I couldn't agree with her more. Read it and think about the
reasons you love America.
WHY I LOVE AMERICA
I love the Bill of Rights - which defines the limits on government.
Free speech means you can criticize the government and there is nothing
they can do about it, absolute privacy and religious freedom were
unique when the Constitution was written and remain rare in the world
even today.
I love the rule of law - that it applies to us all, no matter our
station in life. It may seem that the rich and powerful are treated
better in the system, but in America the rich and powerful can and do
go to jail from time to time while the least powerful and the poor have
the right to confront their accusers, the right to an attorney, the
right to remain silent, the right to refuse admission to government
officials wanting to enter their home or office.
I love Wal-Mart and capitalism (the greatest economic ism of all.)
Wal-Mart started as a one man rural, somewhat rinky-dink operation in
Arkansas and grew to be the biggest retailer in the world because
serving the customer served the business. That is how capitalism works.
Socialism and communism claim to spread the wealth, but only spread the
inefficiency and misery. You don't even have to shop at Wal-Mart to
benefit. Their massive competitive presence in the retail world lowers
prices for everyone.
I love baseball...it is the perfect democratic sport. Anyone can
play. Not in the big leagues but in the vacant lot down the street. You
do not need to be big, strong, fast, smart, broad, tall, black, white,
male, female, smart, rich to play. Anyone can play with minimal
equipment.... Your individual excellence is just slightly more
important then the group effort. Just like America...It is pure. Yes,
ruined by money and fame and steroids. But at it's essence, it is pure
and America.
I love that elections in America are contentious, messy, rancorous
and maddening, but we vote without fear. And then a peaceful transfer
of power takes place and nobody gets shot.
I love that America was one of the very first nations in the world
to put an end to slavery. The story of slavery in America was no
different than anywhere else except that we stopped a lot sooner. That
needs to be mentioned whenever the topic comes up.
I love freedom of religion. I love my religion. I may not love yours
or I may be indifferent to it. Doesn't matter. It is yours and you are
free to practice it as long as it stays within the law regarding the
rights of your fellow citizens. We don't really care for the
sacrificing of virgins on a mountain top.
I love the upward mobility and self realization that is possible
here. Poor men from towns with no traffic lights have grown up to
become president. One day a woman will take the job and so will people
of all ethnic backgrounds. Most millionaires did not start out wealthy.
They make it on their own and they can do it because in America we have
the opportunity to profit from our skills and effort.
I love how charitable Americans are. A recent report reconfirmed
that Americans give more private money to charity than the citizens of
any other country. We also give our time and expertise. When we give to
disaster relief, as we did for Katrina, we know that some of it will be
mismanaged, we give it anyway. A lot of it will help out, and that is
what matters.
I love hot dogs and hamburgers and pancakes and popcorn and hushpuppies. American food.
I love that jazz, the blues, rock and roll, gospel and country music
are all American, even though I don't know squat about jazz and very
little about the blues. I do know that without them the rock and roll I
love would not be what it is.
I love that America's voluntary military is voluntary and powerful. Most armies are neither.
I love that I can hop in my car and go where ever I want and no one cares.
I love all the memorials in DC. But the WWII has this big fountain
in the center where groups of school kids laugh and play around the
fountain - carefree and happy. Sitting on the benches, around the
fountain you can see older men with their veteran hats on watching the
children. The kids are so free because those men fought for them. It
made me weep on the spot. I love that.
I love the regional differences we have...north, south, east, west,
Midwest. While those differences are diminishing with technology, there
is still a difference that you can really only know if you live in a
place for a while. But yet, even in our differences we are still
Americans. Different in so many ways, connected - a family.
I love that we are so free that we have the time and energy to invent things like iPods and iPhones and Viagra.
I love the flag. It is so simply beautiful to me. It is cheerful and
optimistic. It is just cloth but such a hopeful piece of fabric.
I love that my daughter has so many options open to her. The sky is
the limit and the world is her oyster. Her only limitations are ones
she puts on herself.
I love that America takes care of the world. While we get little or
no credit or thanks, often we get only criticism, we still do it. We
are always there to help with all of our resources.
I love our history. The old fashion kind we learned in school before
political correctness. I love all of those dead white men, who with all
of their own prejudices and flaws, built a nation that affords freedom
to men and women of all colors and creeds to a greater degree than,
even they might have imagined.
Remember why YOU love America!!!!
Best wishes for a happy and safe Independence Day! Don't forget to say a prayer for those who secure our freedom -- the men and women of the U.S. military.