Happy birthday, America! It is such a blessing to live in the greatest country in the world. We have seen some dark times and struggles, but because of the persistence of the true spirit of America, we have yet to fall, and I truly believe that we never will. A melting pot of cultures, identities and religions, America is a beautiful mosaic that I am proud to be a part of. To celebrate the 240th birthday of this great nation, here are my top 10 favorite quotes about America.

10. "America is too great for small dreams." - Ronald Reagan

9. "What is the essence of America? Finding and maintaining that perfect, delicate balance between freedom 'to' and freedom 'from.'" - Marilyn vos Savant

8. "Sometimes people call me an idealist. Well, that is the way I know I am an American. America is the only idealistic nation in the world." - Woodrow Wilson

7. "The cost of freedom is always high, but Americans have always paid it. And one path we shall never choose, and that is the path of surrender, or submission." - John F. Kennedy

6. "America is a land of wonders, in which everything is in constant motion and every change seems an improvement... No natural boundary seems to be set to the efforts of man; and in his eyes, what is not yet done is only what he has not yet attempted to." - Alexis de Tocqueville

5. "There is nothing wrong with America that cannot be cured by what is right with America." - Bill Clinton

4. "What does it mean to be an American? While each of us may have our own specific answer to that question, we likely can agree on the basic principles of America: freedom, equal opportunity and rights accompanied by responsibilities." - Ben Nelson

3. "When an American says that he loves his country, he means not only that he loves the New England hills, the prairies glistening in the sun, the wide and rising plains, the great mountains, and the sea. He means that he loves an inner air, an inner light in which freedom lives and in which a man can draw the breath of self-respect." - Adlai Stevenson

2. "I believe with all my heart that America remains 'the great idea' that inspires the world. It is a privilege to be born here. It is an honor to become a citizen here. It is a gift to raise your family here, to vote here and to live here." - Arnold Schwarzenegger

1. "Why is America such a great country? It is because we stand united." - Martin Yan