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(though it can be said that, instead of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the real birth of America was either when the Brits surrendered after the Revolutionary War or when the Constitution was ratified, but I digress...)
Yes, America turns 225 this year - a blip compared to the ages of some of the older nations of the past and present, but an eternity compared to other colonies-turned-nations. The best thing about America is its potential - there is serious potential here for a place that really is the "shining beacon" which politicians trying to cash in on patriotism claim it is.
The best and worst thing about America is that it attracts all types - all races, all ethnicities, all religions, all points-of-view, all languages, etc. Unlike most of the more established nations, the "nationality" of Americans is a combination of all sorts of things rather then just 1 race/ethnicity. Sure, there will always be those people who want to keep out the "others", but the trend over time is for those "others" to become part of our nation (of course, there is concern about people losing their heritage, so a balance needs to be found).
If there is something which will split the U.S. up, its not differing races or ethnicities, but certain specific divisive issues. About 140 years ago, we were actually split up into 2 different countries thanks in part to the hot-button issue of slavery. Today, hot-button issues include abortion, gun control, the "War on Drugs", the death penalty, and several others. What people need to realise is that there are good people doing what they believe is right on both sides of any of these issues, and that, unlike slavery, each of these issues actually has decent arguments on both sides. Hopefully there will be no need for another Civil War (cause we sure as hell don't appear to have another Lincoln in current politics).
Happy 4th of July everyone (and to those outside the U.S., happy Independence Day, whenever yours may be...)
M_H (who really wishes his city didn't have those stupid rules against personal fireworks)
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