Today is the 4th of July.
Oh hey! NEWSFLASH!!!
I’m sure you all knew that but for those of you outside of the United States and just north of the border (you really belong to us), today is the day we celebrate independence. Independence from England. And if you forgot the whole story, take a quick peek at the main source of my knowledge of U.S. History:
(Schoolhouse Rock… rocks!)
I have to say that I am extremely proud to be an American. Not a Republican or a Democrat, but an American. Sometimes the lines get blurred and we forget we’re all part of the same big happy family.
But where does the pride come from? And how does the pride of Americans so quickly get turned into a perception of arrogance around the world?
Because so many people haven’t experienced anything outside of the culture of being American.
It’s easy to look at the rest of the world through American-colored glasses. You want money? Work hard for it. You want food? Grow it or buy it. You want freedom? Fight for it.
The reality is that the U.S.A is truly the land of opportunity. You can work hard. You can get an education. You can choose who you want to marry.
You have certain unalienable rights that cannot be denied under law.
Unless you’ve lived in another culture, or immersed yourself in, or sometimes, just witnessed another culture, it’s really hard to fathom all the blessings that we have as Americans. All the freedoms we have as Americans.
On this 4th of July, I’m going to stop and give thanks to some of the founding fathers (and other important people) that gave us the freedoms that we have.
And then I’m going to eat a hot dog, drink a beer, and watch fireworks.
4 comments
you said it perfectly for me! THIS is what we need to think about!
You said it perfectly. I love this!
“The reality is that the U.S.A is truly the land of opportunity. You can work hard. You can get an education. You can choose who you want to marry.”
You can do all of these is lots and lots of countries too. That’s why people think of Americans as arrogant because you think freedom and rights are you’re own personal domain
[…] and songs that you learned when you were a child. If so, congratulations. You’re part of the Schoolhouse Rock generation. It’s how many of us learned about grammar, history, science, and math. Call it the original […]