What You Love about the US and the West.

Jeff Head

General
Registered Member
I was born and raised in Texas. A natural born US Citizen and Texas native.

But I have traveled broadly, visiting all of the following nations, some for up to two years, numerous ones for weeks or months on end, and a few for only short durations:

Germany
Switzerland
Austria
France
Belgium
The Netheralnds
Yugoslavia
Romania
Canada
Mexico
India
Hong Kong
The Republic of China
The People's Republic of China
South Korea

All nations have good people in them. All nations have their better points and their not so good points.

What I love about America (in addition to the unbelievable beautiful scenery and abundance of resource...which other nations also have to one extent or another) is that the opportunity for achiemvement is there for all. From the most humble circumstances and racial backgrounds, to those born into wealth. If an individual is motivated, and willing to work very hard and take risks, they have the chance to exceed beyond their wildest dreams...perhaps to a larger extent than anywhere on earth. I have seen it happen, and though there is still some bigotry and discimination among some, it is a fading thing and a small minority, and people with a will and desire, can get around those few roadblocks, either legally, or by simply going a relative short distance from the area where they experience the problem.

I have experienced it myself, and seen friends of mine who have been unbelievable examples of this.

The other thing is that most people in America, despite the huge diversity that exists here, hold pretty fast to the same morals...the same faith in God (not necessarily a particular religion) and what is called, "the golden rule", to do unto others as you would have them do unto you, and to not bother other people who are not bothering them. In most places in this country the majority of the people are friendly, and unbelievably charitable and helpful to anyone they meet who they think may need help...as long as they do not feel they are being taken advantage of.

I have also lived all over this country. In all of the following states (with my wife and kids) for at least a year each (and in many cases more):

Texas
California
Utah
Idaho
Montana
Ohio
Illinois

With vacations and travel I have visited all 50 states except Hawaii, most of them several times. Despite how I look, my accent, the way I dress, etc., I have been treated well, and helped when needed, and given help when I saw it, everywhere I have been.

There is an old saying in America, that is erroneously attrinuted to Alexis de Tocqueville, but for which the original author is simply unknown.

It goes like this, "America is great, because America is good. And if America ever ceases to be great, it will be because America has ceased to be good." Whomever penned those words, had it right in my opinion.

That does not mean Americans are better than anyone else, because like I have said, I have experienced similar goodness extended to me pretty much in all of those places I have visited. There just seems to be more opportunity here for the overall people in general, and I believe it is precisely because in America's history, that that is what people came here for. For the opportunity to be free and to excel wherever they chose, as opposed to where custom, or government policy, or historical precedent told them they had to "fit in."

That is not in the ethos or the culutre of America. And so it has extended out into the culture and the consciousness of the nation that people can be what they want and have the right to try and achieve what they can where they want. And in most cases, the laws empower people to do this to this day...irrespective of all the nonsense that goes on in Washington DC or State Capitols around the country.

Clearly, it is not the case always, and there are exceptions to both of these experiences I have had (opportunity and friendliness), but by and large, it is the state of affairs in America and I love it for that.
 
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