July 4, 2006
 
COMMENTARY: Taking Stock of What America Represents
 
By Tom Proebsting
Special to HNN
 
Moberly, MO (HNN) -- As our nation celebrates another Fourth of July, observing its two-hundred and thirtieth anniversary, it does us well to take stock of what we have to be thankful for.
 
America has one of the highest standards of living in the world so that she is able to give her extra food, money and medical supplies to the needy in Third World nations. Our capitalist economy has made possible myriads of rags-to-riches stories throughout our short history. People from all over the world come here to take advantage of our economy, political freedoms, job opportunities and health care.
 
America is a young nation compared to some of the ancient civilizations which have come and gone. We hope to last half as long as Egypt, which is one of the oldest nations on earth. Our country is built on the labors, knowledge, teachings, wisdom, inventions, religions and philosophies of our ancestors the world over. This is part of what makes our nation great.
 
In addition, America, a land of immigrants, is built on the novelty of its people, who came to these shores, often as outcasts of their former countries. After arriving here, they built cities, made agriculture work, and took part in the Industrial Revolution. Today America leads the world in high technology and the Information Age, which were in their infancies when America celebrated its bicentennial in 1976.
 
From sports to entertainment to media coverage to crops to inventions to manufacturing to technology to the internet, America is almost always at the head of the pack. Our population is extremely diverse, employing one of the most educated and capable workforces on earth. The Mississippi Valley is the Breadbasket of the world, our culture is unique, our fashions are emulated all over the globe and our music rocks the planet.
 
America’s land, geography, and natural resources are partly responsible for the success of this nation. From the Rocky Mountains to the Great Northwest forests to the Hawaiian islands to the California surf & sun to the frozen Alaskan tundra to the Northern Great Lakes & dairy farms to the Eastern power establishment to the Atlantic Seaboard to the swamps of Florida to the Gulf Coast waters to the Great Southwest deserts to the milky rich Midwest, America is several lands rolled up into one wealthy nation.
 
Our government has the distinct advantage of a superior Constitution which guarantees a separation of powers so that one branch of the government does not overpower the others. We have rights and freedoms unparalleled elsewhere, such as a free press. We observe international laws as well as our own federal, state, and local laws. Our economy is growing along with the stock market and we have financial safeguards, many of which were enacted during the 1930’s to protect the public. The US stands out in its uniqueness.
 
However, America has many problems facing it. Our government is less than efficient as was witnessed last fall during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. But as Harry Truman said, “When you have an efficient government, you have a dictatorship.”
 
The U.S. enjoys one of the highest living standards in the world even though the wealth and income gap is widening. Other problems abound. A national health plan is desperately needed, child pornography is out of control, drug use is rampant, alcoholism and mental illness are all too common, our educational standards are ebbing, our citizens are too fat, child and spousal abuse are rife, global warming is threatening our very existence, the budget deficit is a disaster-in-waiting, our current presidential administration is secretive to the point of paranoia, jobs are being outsourced, manufacturing is going the way of the Dodo bird, our nuclear arsenal needs to be eliminated, the NSA illegally listens in on our private phone conversations, we’re running out of oil, our borders are porous, another direction in the war in Iraq should be considered, and we need to find solutions to threats overseas concerning rogue nations such as Iran, Syria, and North Korea. These problems, which are in the physical realm, are disconcerting.
 
The US was founded with religious or spiritual freedom in mind. Thomas Jefferson wrote, “All men are created equal.” This is because all men were created in the image of God. America offers every conceivable type of religion to its citizens. We can take a lesson from the Muslims of whom very many are committed to their god, to the Koran, and to the Prophet. Americans, as a people, are losing their religion or spirituality and are becoming a secular nation. Every person has a physical and a spiritual side. Both must be developed, otherwise you may expect an imbalance.
 
Our citizens need to believe in something besides work and government. We must get our minds off ourselves. We need someone to look up to besides TV characters and other people. The America of the 21st century must embrace their spiritual side, whether it be through Christianity, Judaism, Muslimism, Buddhism, Paganism, whatever their creed. No person’s choice of worship should be disparaged by anyone.
 
America is the land of opportunity and of abundance. Its people and its land are unequalled. However, nothing is perfect and life is certainly not fair. The 21st century offers the US an opportunity to grow in ways that we must in order to survive. The New Millennium gives America another chance to redeem itself.
 
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Tom Proebsting is a writer and blogger in Missouri. Tom Proebsting, 823 N. Ault St. Moberly, MO 65270
 
e-mail: truthprobe777@yahoo.com
 
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