America: 250 Years of Growth

I think the founders of this country would be amazed at how far we have come as a society and a nation. Are we perfect? No. Were our country’s founders perfect? No, not at all. They had their disagreements, and when the Declaration of Independence was written—perhaps one of the greatest pieces of writing in the modern era—there had to be modifications and changes. That is the beautiful thing about our country: we change as needed, most of the time for the better, though not always.

As an American Jew, I am proud to be called an American. When my family was being eradicated by the Nazis, they came to the United States and integrated into society. My grandparents and parents worked incredibly hard to educate their family and to make a better life for us.

Recently, I was amazed and proud of how FIFA, a simple soccer tournament, brought people from all over the world together. I heard the exact same comment from almost every visitor I encountered: they felt they had been lied to by their own news media outlets and governments. We had been portrayed as a dangerous country, yet every single person I spoke with said we are the kindest nation—a people always trying to help and show visitors around. A huge thank you goes out to Scotland, whose fans came to our country, partied with us, and made the tournament so much more enjoyable. Your warmth and happiness know no bounds. Please come back every year and bring those bagpipes! This is my America.

Let this be a reminder that we are at our strongest when we stand together, when we put our differences aside and remember that we are one people with a shared history, culture, and heritage. Together, we can achieve incredible things.

Right now, we are at a stage politically where we are lost. We need to get back to basics and common sense. We must learn to disagree and move on; even when we disagree, that is the beauty of voting. We are going through hard times, and when that happens, society historically looks for a scapegoat. Sadly, as we see the hatred happening today, it is usually the Jews.

Let this amazing country pick itself up and get away from any agenda other than helping our nation. Let us implement a mandatory one year of service to our country after high school. Let our children work in a hospital or perform community service; let’s teach them to help others and have a love for our country. Our anthem means something. Our families died for our freedom. Let us all move forward, honor our founding fathers, and make America great.