What Makes America Great

What Makes America Great like no Other Nation?

America is different from any other nation in the history of the planet. When you consider of those historic words written by Emma Lazarus that are written on the Statue of Liberty, they sum up magnificently the remarkable history of this grand nation and what makes America great.

The New Colossus

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

Emma Lazarus, 1883

America is a nation of immigrants. It is a nation of individuals who came here from distant lands, to look for something better. What makes America great is when you observed the hearts of those courageous immigrants; you almost certainly could find as many sundry motivations for their coming here as there are persons who inhabit this great terra firma. But there is and was one merging desire in the heart of each of those immigrants that resides on in the hearts of all citizens of this motherland, they all held profoundly in their hearts the American dream.
The American dream is so much more than "two houses at the shore and drive in at McDonalds." That turn of phrase, so effortless and pleasing to the eye, summarizes an intensely held desire for greatness that make this nation, and the citizens are only one of its kind in the world and that's what makes America great.

Part of the American dream is the sheer love of family. For so scores of people, the great effort to get here was hard and pricey. Numerous worked for decades, perhaps died in the name of that one dream they held dear. That dream was to make a better place for their kids to live in. And what makes America great is that better place could only be dreamt of in America.

Another piece of the American dream cannot be diminished in any way except for saying it is a dream of greatness. America is a land where everything is possible. It isn't only liable to the privileged few. It isn't only liable to the rich or to those in a closed society at the top of the economic pyramid. What makes America great is that greatness is possible for each and every American if they will work hard, not give up the dream and reach for that dream without giving up.

There is no question that a wonderful part of the American dream is to be part of this rich and diverse culture that is so exclusive in this country. From baseball to Broadway, from jazz to rock and roll, the American culture is the envy of the world. It is such a compelling culture that much of it has been cliched in other countries around the globe. But what makes America great is demonstrated by the fact that nobody can be Americans like Americans can. And the dream of thousands, perhaps even millions around the planet is to be one of those lucky few that can call themselves Americans.

What makes America great is there is so much that makes up that unique American spirit that each immigrant and citizens fights for each and every day. It is a commitment to community that makes us a great nation of volunteers. It is a love of humor and fun that makes the arts and humanities in America so different and pleasurable. And it is the attachment to principles and to freedom that makes this nation one of profoundly held convictions that is confirmed each and every day in the lives of its citizens.

But of all the elements that makes the American dream so exclusive and valuable to the soul of this nation, it is that love of country that is in the blood of every citizen to treasure what is their heritage in this great land. What makes America great is that the love of country emerges in many ways. It emerges in a passionate consideration about the future of the culture in America's successful system of government. It emerges in the churches, synagogues and mosques in every state in this union as each citizen links their love of God to love of country. And it emerges in sacrifice that our citizens and soldiers give each time they must give it all to keep this nation secure and free.

The American dream is not just a motto. It is purely what makes America great. It is what has held this country together through unbelievable hardships and challenges for more than two hundred years. And it is the American dream that will hold this country together for many centuries to come providing its citizens commend to never turn their backs on a nation that will never turn its back on them.