The Greatness of America

It's called American Exceptionalism, the belief that the United States of America is one of the greatest nations in history.  Born out of protest, forged in battle, as Americans we have endured the worst the world has had to offer, which has only made us stronger as a nation.  Our citizens have immigrated to our shores from all corners of the world looking for a better life.  Like my great grandparents before me, they came seeking the promise of freedom offered by this fledgeling country.  For generations, the United States has been a beacon of hope for the poor and oppressed of the world.  My own grandparents came to this country escaping the Nazi invasion of Finland in World War two.  It's  no coincidence why they and millions of others chose this nation to make a new start.
Despite the fact that, as a nation, we have grown into a beacon of hope for the rest of the world, it is our people who have made us what we are.  From the patriots fighting against a harsh British rule, to citizens fighting for racial justice, we have always fought for what we believe is right.  We have had our mistakes, but what sets us apart is that our mistakes have never destroyed the fabric of what makes us great.  There are still very few places in the world where people are afforded the economic and political freedoms we enjoy in America.  Our citizens have the right to voice their dissent without fear of being thrown into prison.   Although our history is rooted in christianity, we are free to worship as we choose.  We are free to pursue economic opportunity and prosperity.  Our history is filled with those who have immigrated to our shores to prosper financialy.  If there is one thing that has been the base for our success as a nnation, it's freedom.
In recent years there has been a movement among us to downplay the greatness of this nation.  Our sitting president has often made it a point to publicly appolagize for the past actions of this country.  We have been downplayed and villified by a few leftist career politicians seeking to score votes with those on their side.  Even though this behavior is reprehensible to me, we must continue to defend the freedom of those who choose to voice their opinions.  That is  what continues to make this nation special.  We have, as a nation, lost many generations of young men fighting not only for our own freedoms, but for those of others.  The cemetaries of Arlington and the French countryside attest to our sacrafice as a nation.  We do well to remember that sacrafice.

"Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.  Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"
~Inscription on the Statue of Liberty~