Why US is the Best Country in the World

We are the best country in the world not because we have the best china, or the fanciest parties, or the best decorated state buildings, or the greenest lawns, but because we believe in the Declaration of Independence, and the inalienable rights set forth therein: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Because every four years, whether we want to or not, we come together to choose who will lead us, and when the selection is over, even if we aren’t happy with the outcome, we live with it. We don’t kill each other over it. We don’t riot in the streets, or start amassing armies to mount a coup. We resolve ourselves to continue to stand up for what we believe, to fight the good fight, to work on getting things accomplished for the good of the people, all the people. We do this not because we are better or smarter than the rest of the world, but because we believe that every voice has value, even those that disagree with us. We believe in the dream that began 223 years ago, when a small group of people got together to stand up to a bully, a tyrant, a king that had forgotten that his responsibility, his duty, his calling first and foremost was to serve his people, to do right by them. That is what leaders are supposed to do – serve. That is what true leadership is all about, sacrificing oneself for the best interest of others. We believe in the Constitution and the principles of self-government therein. We believe that people are not idiot children that need to be looked after and protected from themselves, by a nanny-state, but are capable of self-government, and more so that they are obligated to it. We believe that government should serve the people, not the other way around. We believe that the power of government is derived from the people; the power of the people is not derived from the government. We believe that people given the opportunity will rise to greatness, not because the government gave them a check or started a program, but because government got out of the way and allowed them to be rewarded for hard work and determination. The job of government is to keep us safe, to protect us from tyrants and bullies; I fear we have reached that point when our own government has become the very thing from which it is supposed to protect us. We are no longer governed by citizen legislators, but by an elite ruling class that has become more interested in maintaining its own position of power than serving the people. We have been fed the lie for decades that you have to be an insider to get things done, that you have to be of a certain background, education, financial stature to be capable of doing the job well. Sure, the occasional “riff raff” may slip through, but they rarely last, because they “can’t handle the pressure.” The truth is they make waves and the sharks circle and devour them. I believe in the system. I believe in virtue. I believe that man is capable of goodness and greatness. And I believe that deep down people want their leaders to be good, honest, decent people of character, principle, and integrity. Sadly, I also believe that people are weary. I hope that I am wrong about those in Washington, and that they will remember sooner rather than later the childhood dreams of serving their country because they wanted to make a difference. That they will remember the first time they stepped foot into the capitol building as a senator or congressman, a real bona fide participant in the legislative process, in the process laid out in our founding documents. Documents from which there is much wisdom to glean. Documents not merely pulled from thin air based on the lighthearted whims of “a bunch of rich pompous white farmers,” but based on lifelong conviction and belief in something greater than themselves. Documents birthed from the blood, sweat and tears of many. Documents based on a determination to take from history the principles that had stood the test of time and been proven worthwhile. Documents built on a commitment to offer a better idea of leadership for the people of what would become our great nation. I hope that in remembering all these things they too will remember Lincoln’s hope, my hope, the hope of millions of Americans today ”that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”
Things will not change in Washington, this nation, or anywhere for that matter until people are willing to fight for it, and while I am speaking figuratively, it may one day come to require a literal fight and we must be ready once again to take a stand for what we believe, to sign our names and “pledge our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor” to defend what is right.