America is the Greatest Nation on Earth

If you’re patriotic, you need to read this. And if you’re NOT patriotic, you REALLY need to read it…

Every morning that I run or sprint or do whatever I do here in Old Saybrook, CT, this is the view I’m rewarded with at the end of my hard work. I always feel so blessed and fortunate when I get done with a workout that I have such a beautiful place to be and train and work and do what I’m doing. Today, my head was actually noisier than usual (that’s really saying something) and I missed a lot of the beauty and the sights and the sounds and the smells of the little beach area I’m in. I was doing my cool-down and trying to quiet my head when I got to the end of Middletown Avenue. I have been to this beach 1000s upon 1000s of times for almost all of the 38 years of my life and it never looked like it did today.

In addition to the beautiful ocean and the smells and the sounds there were FOUR American flags flying out near Saybrook Town Beach. I’m pretty sure there’s always one. But I’ve never seen the four like that all together.

In that moment, a lot became clear to me.

I actually had such a moment of clarity I got weak for a second. I’ve always been VERY patriotic but I never really “got it” like I did today. I mean REALLY got it.

I am able to enjoy this view every day because people LOVE that flag and are fighting and dying EVERY DAY for it!

I actually walked the 1/4 mile back to the cottage to get my camera and capture this moment. On the way back it ALL come together:

The shit most of us worry about day in and day out is NOTHING. We are blessed to have the freedom to worry about the minor crap we worry about. BLESSED.

So, I’m walking back for the camera and thinking this needs to be a blog post and IT REALLY HIT ME: It’s because this country EXISTS and there are people who will fight and die for it and protect our rights – here and abroad – that I EVEN have a blog to write on!

I can post anything I want, day or night, on whatever topic I want, in whatever way I want, WITH THE PERMISSION OF NO ONE! I have the compete and utter right of free speech to write and publish anything I want. In Nazi Germany or Soviet Russia, the rant I published last week asking how much fitness and health ACTUALLY mean to you would have gotten me killed – or worse. Actually, it would have been worse FIRST and THEN killed. And the thing I posted this week about the media and fitness establishment would have meant 5-10 years in prison at the least. We say and do shit in this country that people in other times – and other parts of the world NOW – would be terrified to EVEN THINK.

I’ll never forget a story I heard about a German man (NOT Jewish) on a bus in Nazi Germany on his way to work. It was 1938 and the morning after Kristallnacht. The bus passed a still-burning synagogue and the man said – out loud – the German equivalent of: “It’s shameful to our people this could happen.” The man sitting in front of him on the bus stood up and showed his Gestapo badge. The man was ordered to report to the local Gestapo office at 9am the next morning. He left for the “appointment” and his family never saw him again. No doubt he was on a train and headed to a concentration camp by 11am that day.

I don’t think anyone can TRULY appreciate the freedom and liberty we have in America without knowing the incredible atrocities and horrors that have occurred in this Century and ALL the others. And I mean REALLY know. Put it this way: if you think you know some of the stuff that has gone on in these regimes over the years, there’s one way to make sure. Make sure you became absolutely sick when you read it, heard it or saw it. If you didn’t, you don’t REALLY know.

And this isn’t just stuff that went on “then.” It’s happened long after World War II and it’s happening right now. Ever heard of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge? Pol Pot was a “Cambodian Hitler” in the 60’s and 70’s. He murdered about 1/4 of the ENTIRE POPULATION of Cambodia during his reign.

And do you REALLY know what was going on in Afghanistan and Iraq before we showed up there? Do you REALLY know the freedom those people DIDN’T have? The terror and the abuse that happened under Saddam’s Regime?

Do you know the stuff that’s GOING ON RIGHT NOW in other parts of the world? Check out Amnesty International’s website if you don’t. Make sure you don’t eat first though…

I had a conversation this morning with a 23 year old guy online. He and I agreed on a lot but he was into a lot of the “Oil companies rule America” and “In 10 years we’ll all have microchips in our heads and bar codes on our necks” conspiracy stuff.

I say, Americans are SMARTER AND BETTER than that. And I say we’re going to get it all figured out just fine. (Eventually…)

This is the greatest nation on Earth. If you doubt that, read some “Ayn Rand.” Try “Atlas Shrugged.” At least read Galt’s Speech from the book. If you really believe in the “1984” George Orwell thing, read “Anthem” by Ayn Rand and learn how to prevent it from being that way. Not so sure about the U.S. or Capitalism? Think the European Union Nations are so smart? All excited about National Health Care? Check out Ayn Rand’s “Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal.”

I will say it again: THIS IS THE GREATEST NATION ON EARTH.

The United States of America was founded by brave, genius (and somewhat drunk) men who defied the tyranny of the British Crown and committed acts of High Treason – punishable by death – to have freedom and create the free country we live in today. Do you actually know what they were up against? Do you actually know what an act of bravery and defiance it was to SIGN the Declaration of Independence in 1776?

And do you know what the Continental Army was up against? England was the most powerful nation ON EARTH at that time. And we beat them and sent them back across the Atlantic with their tails between their legs. We then proceeded to BECOME the most powerful nation on Earth.

To all of those who have lived and died to create the greatest nation on Earth – THANK YOU. To those who continue to protect it – and us – THANK YOU. And for all those who support them and love them – THANK YOU.

Thank you for the right and the privilege to live my life how I choose and for the right to press “Publish” on this computer without fear.

ttys

Adam

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