Happy Birthday America!

It was 235 years ago today that church bells rang out over Philadelphia, as the Continental Congress adopted Thomas Jefferson's draft of the Declaration of Independence. The opening lines read, in part:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

As I read these words, I am reminded how truly lucky we are to live in America. Certainly, America is not without its problems, but there are so many things we take for granted that thousand -- millions -- around the world have to struggle for.

• When I wake up each morning on my super-comfortable pillow-top mattress, I do not have to worry about walking a long distance to fetch water. I walk 10 feet and turn on a faucet from which I can drink the water without worry of contamination or parasites. Then, I turn on the shower that pulses warm water. The thought of hiking to a river or lake to bathe is not even a consideration. Similarly, I can carry my pile of dirty clothes downstairs and throw them in the washing machine, instead of trying to clean them against rocks and allowing them to dry by putting them over a bush.
• I don't worry each morning whether I will have enough to eat that day. Sadly, for me and millions of Americans, we have too much food!
• As a woman in a America, I embrace and cherish all my personal and professional freedoms. I go to work without fear of sexual harassment, abuse, or exploitation. I assume that I have equal opportunities for advancement and compensation. I trust that upper management values my work based on my knowledge and experience and that the fact I am a woman is immaterial. I do not feel awkward being a nearly 50 year old single woman with no kids. In fact, I love all the choices that my status affords me.
• I am grateful for the educational opportunities that I have had. Of course it was assumed I would graduate from high school and it was almost certain I would go to college. Around the world, many women are restricted from seeking education.
• I've been driving since I was 14 and think nothing of it. Yet another freedom that not all women across the globe are entitled to.
• If I am ill, I have the luxury of going to a world-class teaching hospital and receiving the best in medical care. I am lucky to have health insurance. I have access to simple over-the-counter medications to cure ailments that cause death for some in third-world countries.
• I'm sitting in my comfortable climate-controlled home...protected equally from heat and humidity in the summer and from cold and rain or snow in the winter.
• I have access via the Internet, public libraries, newspapers, news shows, and bookstores to information on any subject imaginable. Many citizens across the world still receive news that is filtered/censored by their governments. With knowledge comes power.
• Our government might not always be doing what we think it should be doing, but I can at least feel confident that we have a voice in the government. At any time, I can fire off a letter, e-mail, or phone call to any of my congressional representatives or the president without fear of retribution. I know that if the government does not act, we have the power to vote them out of office. We do not need to stage ongoing protests and riots to try and remove someone from power who as been in control for over 40 years. 

So, yes, it's easy to complain about what's wrong in our lives. But, for many Americans, we have no room to gripe. I still believe that the U.S.A is the greatest country and we are all lucky to live here. With props to Lee Greenwood:  

And I'm proud to be an American,

where at least I know I'm free.

And I won't forget the men who died,

who gave that right to me.

And I gladly stand up,

next to you and defend her still today.

'Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land,

God bless the USA.