Loving The Idea of America

I truly appreciate that I am an American. I would not go so far as to say that I love America. Instead, I love the idea of America and what this country stands for.

Even if this country is not a perfect place, I can think of no other country in which I would choose to live. Our democratic system has always been messy and contentious. The playing field has never been absolutely level. There have always been social and economic inequities. But at least in the U.S., there is the sense that fairness and equality for all people is something we strive to attain.

Let us never forget that this is a country where we can still dream and hope for a better life. Even in the worst of times, there are still wonderful opportunities to grow and expand our lives. And if the quality of social or legal justice is not always perfect, it trumps justice in most of the rest of the world.

At this writing, we are still a free people, allowed to speak our mind and wield the power that comes with being an American citizen, if we have the courage to exercise that option. In the end, it takes courage to be an American citizen, because when we champion a cause, popular or not, we take a risk. But we are a people who took a great risk in the 1700's in demanding our freedom from England. We continue to take risks, individually and as a nation, and occasionally even rise to the level of being a shining beacon of hope for peoples all across our globe.

I am proud to be an American.

Howard Fireman