Between the awesome comments on my last post, and an E-mail debate regarding immigration that took place in another group I am in, I came up with an awesome idea.  As an appreciative American citizen, I’m going to spend the next week-ish blogging about why I love this country.  I’ll start today.




          I love (though sometimes also hate) our freedom of speech.  I can say pretty much whatever I want about whomever I want on this blog, any public forum, or keep it to myself in a private diary.  At any moment, I can walk the streets without fear of persecution for my words.  I can say I hate President Bush and his cronies.  I can say I hate Ron Paul and think the idea of him running for President is preposterous.  I can say I think Hillary Clinton is a raging bitch who needs to finalize her sex change and rejoice when the burden of denial is lifted.  No one will show up at my door, or seize ,e or my family members while we work or play.  No one will shut down my blog and freeze my assets.  I can say any of those things, or worse, and legally, my speech and expression is completely protected.  No one will ever hear rumors of a private diary and raid my home and capture me.  My thoughts, whether they agree or not with the majority, are protected by law.


          By the same token, no one forces me to endure people’s views that are contrary to my own.  If I choose to engage in a debate, fine.  If I choose to walk away, keeping my original beliefs in tact, no one will come after me, forcing me to listen to their dogma.  If I don’t like the radio station, I can change it.  No one decides that only jazz, or only classical is appropriate, and therefore, all that is allowed to be broadcast.


          I can even take it a step further.  I can gather peacefully with like-minded individuals to make my personal statements even louder and more visible to the people we’re disagreeing with.  As long as I’m not throwing rocks through PETA’s windows, or burning effigies of the President of Exxon on their corporate headquarter’s lawn, I can yell and scream all I want. 


         That’s pretty awesome, ya’ll.  There are still countries where even telling your spouse to fuck off can land you in prison, or dead.  There are still countries where you can’t wear certain articles of clothing because the very sight of your skin is offensive.  There are still countries where any voiced distaste for the current political regime is grounds for execution…


          America is great because it’s people are free to express themselves.