America, The Last Great Hope

Pardon me for stealing a blog title from Bill Bennett's recent book accentuating the positive about our nation's history.

Bill, if you are reading this, please mention my blog on your radio show!!

I've been feeling so negative about all the hypocrisy I've noticed since January 20th, it seemed a good idea to put everything in proper perspective. Positive thinking sounds really good right now.

Despite all our shortcomings, the United States is still the greatest place for opportunity on the planet. Even though liberals continue fighting to "change" our culture, the same culture rising to international prominence, concepts like hard work and pride in country are still alive and well here. Most Americans believe we are basically a good and noble people (assuming we leave out school textbook writers, college professors, and Hollywood stars). Most Americans are very charitable and long for a simpler time when family values were lifted up while selfishness and pride were discourage not embraced.

It's easy for many Americans, like myself, to be upset by the government snowball picking up speed from Washington D.C. We are all worried about the erosion of individual rights in our society. So it is in this vein I ask you to take a few moments and dwell on all the good (and noble) events taking place in our land right now. You'll feel better about yourself, your neighbors, and your country.

*Our health care system continues to be the best, albeit most expensive, in the world. If you are overseas and have a serious surgery need, there is a good chance you are trying to figure out how to visit a US surgeon.

*This past year almost eight million shoe boxes containing gifts for kids who have nothing were put together almost exclusively by American citizens and sent to areas almost exclusively outside our borders.

*I've mentioned it before, but it is so staggering I love repeating it. Americans and American business gave over $300 billion in charitable contributions last year.

*Where else can the definition of a country's economy being near the "Great Depression" be akin to meaning citizens have to downsize and own only one computer instead of two or two televisions instead of four?

*Where else can the lowest 50% of incoming producing citizens pay just 3% of the total income tax bill, while the top 10% pay over 70 % of the tax bill, yet the country's income producers still find a way to make goods and services greater than the next four nations combined?

*I can write a blog criticizing the government and, unlike China, I won't be jailed or killed.

*Burning crosses in black America less than 50 years ago gives rise to a black American president today.

*We had a woman candidate for Vice President in 2008, while in many countries women are asked to hide their faces or never leave the home.

*A mortgage meltdown is defined as 96% of home owners paying on time instead of 98%.

*A housing crisis is defined as 2 years of falling home prices after 28, yes 28 straight years of rising prices.

Hopefully this list has encouraged you in a small way to remember America still stands as a beacon of light in a world of terrible devastation, hatred, and terrorism. The list above is really endless. We, in many cases, are a fair and noble people. Stand strong and proud to be an American where at least you are free. I'm not sure for how much longer we will be but that's a blog for another day.