By Associate Creative Director D'Anne Witkowski
“Love it or leave it.”
If you complain about the United States, you’re not welcome here.
And yet there are so many things to complain about.
I am not known for being, shall we say, a positive person. Optimism is not my strong suit.
In other words, I bitch and complain a lot.
But instead of writing another blog for The Guerrilla Politic where I point out everything bad about the United States, I decided to focus on what’s good. After all, we just celebrated our 250th anniversary, so let’s give the country its props. Here are things I love about the United States of America:
National Parks - There’s a lot of natural beauty across the country, and thanks to the National Park Service all of that beauty hasn’t been bought up and sold to the highest bidder to become private property or to have natural resources exploited. I’ve been lucky enough to visit Yellowstone and Grand Teton in Wyoming, Badlands and Wind Cave in South Dakota, the Indiana Dunes, and the San Juan National Historic Site in Puerto Rico with my family.
Freedom to travel - Speaking of visiting National Parks, I’ve taken a lot of road trips over the past couple of decades with my wife and son (we can add the Interstate Highway System to this list), and as we drive from one state to another, there’s usually a sign that says, “Welcome to Ohio” or whatever state we’ve entered. We don’t have to wait at checkpoints with armed guards where we have to show our papers to cross state lines.
Fahrenheit - I like that when it’s hot or cold outside the number corresponds logically. When it’s super cold, 0 degrees makes sense. Like, it’s so cold that you don’t even have ANY degrees. 100 degrees Fahrenheit sounds hot. That same temperature in Celsius is 37, which just doesn’t have the same scorching vibe.
Apple pie - Okay, it didn’t originate in the U.S. But it is the best pie. Hands down. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out, Pumpkin.
Immigrants - The United States is home to immigrants from all over the world who have enriched this country with different cultures, life experiences, ideas, and, of course, food. Next time you DoorDash some Chinese food or some tacos, remember that immigrants brought that here.
I don’t have to be a Christian - Or belong to any religion. Or believe in any deity. And I don’t.
My marriage is legal and recognized - I am painfully aware that there are many countries where my marriage to my wife would be illegal. This includes countries I’ve visited like Japan.
Air conditioning - I know it’s bad for the environment, but I love air conditioning. Especially since I started getting hot flashes. I am grateful that my house is not an 800-year-old manor that is in need of an expensive retrofit to put in a modern heating and cooling system.
Rock and Roll - Sister Rosetta Tharpe was one of the first artists to ever play the electric guitar with distortion. If you love rock music, know that it started with her.
The Onion - The greatest satirical publication known to any area man, area woman, or area them.
And there you have it. Good things about the United States.
Of course, I do have to add that every single one of these things is under threat in one way or another, due to Trump Administration policies and Republican support for those policies (the cruel crackdown on immigrants, disregard for environmental protections, and attack on free speech, for example). Remember: Republicans don’t want us to have or keep anything nice.
Let the good times roll and vote them out.
What are your favorite things about the United States? Share in the comments.