The New Year is fast coming and we are all a bit worried about the economy and all that is going on in Washington.  There is a lot of serious discussion, a bit of America bashing, and a lot of work to be done. But at the end of the day, we cannot lose sight of what we do have in this country.  I want to take a few minutes to remind us of the things we already possess in these United States of America and why I would not give up my citizenship:

1.   It is good to be in America.  I have traveled to many countries and I can tell you that as bad as things may seem this is no Iraq, no Afghanistan, no Israel,  no Cuba, no Egypt, no Philippines, no Vietnam, no China, no Pakistan, and no...you get my drift.  Although far too many are unemployed and far too many living in poverty, it is nothing compared to what one would see in so many other countries.

2.  It is good to be in America.  Although there was certainly intimidation and some hiccups in our election process, and regardless of those saying it was like a third-world country, in comparison to the elections in other countries things went fairly well and this time we got an accurate outcome—it wasn’t even close.  And, if we don’t like what we see in the next couple of years, back we go with our vote. 

3.  It is good to be in America.  If a family member who doesn’t have insurance gets sick, we can take them to the emergency room.  The cost will surely be passed on to us, the citizens, but at least they won’t be diseased in our streets.

4.  It is good to be in America. We have had far too many shooting in the United States, but unlike Israel we have not yet had to arm the teachers in our schools.

5.  It is good to be in America.  From time to time we hear about a salmonella or E. coli breakout, but for the most part our water and food system is safe and plentiful.  

6.  It is good to be in America. Although we are not on the top of the list when it comes to education, most of our children receive an education that will enable them to be a part of the workforce and make a fairly good living.

7.  It is good to be in America. Prejudice has not been eradicated from our country but we are certainly beyond the days of slavery, Jim Crow, absolutely no women’s rights, “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”,  and still moving forward.   

8.  It is good to be in America.  What other countries are experiencing the illegal immigration problems at the level of the United States of America?  And, who is running for the border?  Secede, maybe;  leave, no way.

9.  It is good to be in America.  I have a home with a front yard and a back yard.

10.  It is good to be in America.  If I want, I can leave my Baptist Church and become a Muslim or an atheist without any fear of going to jail or being persecuted by anyone with more authority than my mother.

11.  It is good to be in America.  I can publically criticize President Obama, the Pope, our government or Elvis without fear of winding up in jail.  In some countries the birthers would have been in front of a firing squad long ago.

12.  This list goes on and on.  It is indeed good to be in these United States of America.

What a country!  Happy New Year!