4th of July is an interesting holiday. My cynical side tries to reconcile the fact that it's really two different things. It's an excuse to have a few dozen beers and light Chinese paper-wrapped gunpowder packets in our sunburned hands while burgers burn on the grill. At the same time, it's also the date of our nation's independence.
At this point in our lives, we've done a little traveling and decided that we wish America had...
England's history
Mexico's fish tacos and reposado tequila
France's art
Bahrain's natural resources
Canada's friendliness
The Netherlands' tolerance
Belgium's beer
But when it comes right down to it, no other country has what the United States of America offers its citizens. I actually felt disappointed the other day when I was at the doctor's office (reasonable and safe health care provided through a job that I was able to secure and maintain due to a relatively stable economy) and the internet on my phone (instant access to information at a rate far superior to most developed nations) was going slow.
There's plenty to complain about here - from Glenn Beck and Keith Olberman to Ke$ha and Casey Anthony. But what can we really bitch about? At the end of the day, we are able to dictate what our future holds. Globally, this is the exception, not the rule - more than we realize.
This current mood of patriotism got me looking for a great American song...
Fortunate Song... ...angry
Born in the USA... ...cynical
Proud to be an America... ...I'm sorry, I just can't do it
So, enjoy "America" by Simon and Garfunkel, a wonderfully simple song. Happy 4th of July everyone.
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