With all the evil that is going on in the world right now, I think that it is important to reflect on how fortunate we are to live in the greatest country in the world. As college students, we feel like we have it rough when we have to write a paper or study for an exam. We think others should feel bad for us when we haven’t gotten enough sleep because we were up working on a project. I admit that I fall into this, too. Sometimes I feel like I have it bad if I have too much homework and not enough time for leisure. Then I remind myself of how privileged I am to have that as my biggest worry.

Take a trip over to Syria, where their own government is gassing its citizens. Go look at North Korea, where their people are starving because of their tyrannous communist government. Now look at Russia, where reporters are murdered if they talk badly about their president. It doesn’t take long before you realize that all of your problems are insignificant compared to the problems of others around the world. It’s all perspective.

We are all so privileged to live in the greatest country in the world. There is no other place on Earth as free as the United States. As long as we stay within the laws of our country, we are free to do and say whatever we want. If you want to wake up tomorrow and start your own business, you can. If you want to travel across the country, no one is stopping you. We don’t have to worry things like civil wars or foreign invaders because our government protects us.

On top of all this, the thing that makes our country so great is our democracy. We have a president right now whose approval ratings are at an all-time low. It is no secret that he is not liked by many Americans. But if the majority of the United States does not approve of a president, we can elect someone else. Even if he or she is elected again, there are term limits that prohibit them from staying in office. The president of China just abolished term limits, making him president until he dies. The people of China don’t get to have a say anymore on who they want to govern them.

So thank your lucky stars that you are an American. Next time you think that you have it bad, take a look around and realize that you have more opportunity than anyone else in history, simply by being a United States citizen. I am proud to be an American, and you should be too.  

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