A while ago, an intriguing video clip from the movie The Newsroom showed up on my Facebook newsfeed regarding America and why this country is the best country in the world. The set up was one that appeared to be some sort of debate. When asked why the United States is the best country in the world, two out of the three stated freedom and diversity and opportunity. The third, named Will, abruptly contradicted both of them by explaining why, in fact, our country is not the best in the world.
When idolizing all the ideals Americans hold so dear to our hearts, we seem to forget that other countries have developed just as much as we have, and some are developing quicker and more efficiently. Our rankings in various categories while compared to other countries are only declining. The only categories we are ranked number one in are most Christians, the number of people arrested, and defense spending. Freedom, one of the reasons so many immigrants fled to the United States, is no longer exclusively available in the United States. Will listed tens and tens of other countries who offer their citizens freedom. We can no longer use that as a unique characteristic. So then, what makes us any different or better than other countries now?
Will reminisced about how our country was once rightfully considered the best. We used to live life according to good morals, helped the poor, valued selflessness, befriended our neighbors, and kept our promises. We aspired to be the best and proved it through our inventions and “ungodly technological advances.” We fostered some of the world’s greatest scientists and artists, while maintaining the world’s best economy. We didn’t hide behind our computer screens, but instead stood up for what we believed. We helped each other thrive in our education instead of discrediting our classmates. And Will claims that all of this was possible because we had outstanding, determined men guiding us. He claims that all of this was possible because these great men kept us informed.
We used to have faith in our Presidents and government. We didn’t question all the promises they made. Now, every single vow any politician demands only seems like a lie to manipulate people into voting for him or her. When John F. Kennedy died, his death was a national devastation. Everyone lined up in the streets and mourned together. The country united together because of the strong influence this President had on the people and because of the loyalty the people had to him.
We have lost this strong, positive connection with our leaders. We have lost all the trust and loyalty we once shared for our Presidents. Today, if the President says one thing we disapprove of, we turn our backs and demand a better representative. The thing is, our leaders need to make promises that they can keep, and we need to support our President together and acknowledge that the decisions he, and the others working in an office, make are for us. Like the constitution says, “for the people.” Restoring a strong relationship with our leaders is the first step to rebuilding America and bringing us back to the top.
Next, we need to use education as a tool to learn more and discover our strengths and weaknesses, so we can find suitable occupations that will help build and strengthen America. We should stop treating education as a way to get to the top. We should rebuild our morals by using common courtesy with our neighbors and helping the poor, rather than snarling at them. We need to improve this nation by working together and by uniting under a strong leader.
So no, America is not so “star-spangled awesome” anymore, but let’s change that.
https://www.facebook.com/wahkantakoda/videos/10202913417307550/
