This is a great article about what truly makes this country great, and not just the pandering, and blind patriotism, that permeates the political spectrum. This is country is great, but not for the reasons people often state…
The American story is not one about a country that was born great. It is the story of a country that is struggling to become better. And this is the story that is worth telling. It is one infused with humility, a recognition of our failings and our continuing efforts to correct injustice and make change. This may not be the story-line favored by some politicians, but it is one that can inspire.
It has always been intriguing to me that when we poll Americans and ask why they think people in other countries don’t like us, many say “because they envy us” or “because they hate our values of freedom and democracy.” However, when we poll in the rest of the world, we find that people, in fact, like our values, but wonder why we don’t apply our stated values to our policies.
We need to get over our insecurity, stop the hollow boasting, take a long hard look at our flaws and change. When I hear politicians end their speeches with “God bless America”, I say, “Amen” — not because we deserve to be blessed because we are so good, but because we need all the help we can get to become better.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/james-zogby/america-has-a-good-story_b_1800827.html
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