It's Great To Live In America
Gregory K. Moffatt, Ph.D.
Independence Day is just a few days away. In the difficult
times we live in right now, it is easy to be discouraged. Our
retirement accounts are looking meager with the trouble in the
stock market, the national debt is out of control, housing values
are down, and there are troubles overseas with our allies and
enemies alike. No matter what one's political orientation, there
are things to be discouraged about - conservatives are unhappy
with the current administration and liberals are discouraged with
the huge challenges they believe they inherited from the previous
administration.
But in spite of it all, this is still the best country in
the world. I've traveled to nearly two dozen countries on four
continents and the world is an amazingly beautiful place, but
I can think of very few places I'd want to raise my family other
than the great United States.
Our country is geographically diverse and as beautiful as
anywhere in the world. The Rockies, Sierras, Appalachians, and
Smoky Mountains are as beautiful as most any mountain range in
the world. The beaches of Oahu, Florida, and the black sands beaches
of the Big Island of Hawaii are unmatched anywhere. The Grand
Canyon, Mojave Desert, the plains of Iowa and Nebraska, and the
rocky coasts of Maine and Oregon couldn't be more serene and picturesque.
We have the best food in the world. As I have traveled,
I come to appreciate not only the diverse foods of Asia, Europe,
Africa, and Central and South America, but also how the United
States has adopted the best foods from everywhere as its own.
Even in the smallest towns in the U.S. one can find Italian, Korean,
or Mexican food. Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and Atlanta overflow
with international options - Argentinian, Brazilian, Indian, Thai,
Cuban, French, German, Moroccan, and Japanese just to name a few.
We have the best health care. Our doctors are better trained,
they have better equipment, we have better hospitals, better emergency
care, and better elective care than anywhere in the world. If
I were facing a medical emergency, I'd want to be within the borders
of the United States.
There are more opportunities for jobs, career, advancement,
education, and recreation in the U.S. than anywhere else. As my
undergraduate students approach graduation they often experience
angst about facing the "real world." Sometimes they
don't know what they want to do with their lives. The good news
is they don't have to know. This is America and if they make a
mistake in career choice, they can simply choose something else.
A career decision at age 21 doesn't lock one in forever.
Maybe best of all, if we don't like something in the U.S.,
we are free to express ourselves. As we are seeing in Iran, dissatisfaction
with elections can only be expressed in a limited way. In the
U.S., if you don't like Obama, Bush, Clinton, or whomever, you
can say so as loud as you want for as long as you want. You won't
be exiled, silenced, or executed.
Many people have been discouraged with the contentious presidential
elections the past few cycles, but not me. I'm glad they have
been close calls because it has caused people who have historically
been uninvolved in politics to get involved. People know who is
running for what office more than ever before and people are voting
in historically massive numbers. In the 2004 presidential election,
the U.S. census reported more than 64% of registered voters cast
a ballot. Compare that to 48% in 1996. That is a 33% increase
in voter turnout in just two presidential election cycles!
We have problems, there is no doubt. There is corruption
in government, reckless spending, questionable ethics, and clearly
Americans are not unified on a host of social and political issues.
We have challenges for our future such as our economy and use
of natural resources, but despite it all, we have a great country.
Teach your children about how our system works. Make sure
they can name their state representatives and senators. Discuss
the political process with them and learn where your candidates
stand on issues beyond their cheesy political soundbites. This
4th of July, remind your children that the holiday isn't just
about picnics, parades, and fireworks. It is about freedom and
we are, despite what anyone says about our governmental system,
free, and that is worth celebrating.