In Defense of American Exceptionalism.

Happy Independence Day America!

As a naturalized US citizen, I probably have a slightly different perspective on the 4th of July than many of you who were born here.

I came to this country aged 13 from South Africa, so one could say that I grew up here, sort of. However, I still retain my “foreign” accent, and everyone I meet always asks me where I am from. No one thinks I am “American”.

And yet I feel so thankful, and so proud, to be an American citizen, if not exactly 100% “American”. I have traveled extensively, both as a child and adult. I have visited countries on every continent except Antarctica. In addition to the USA, I have lived in South Africa, Japan, Israel and spent much time outside of the USA. So I have, perhaps, a more expansive worldview than many when I say that I truly believe that America is the greatest country in the world, with the most individual freedoms, where opportunity is easier to achieve than in any other country today.

There are many great countries, peoples, and nations in this world. But I strongly believe America is still the best place where people can come from modest means to invent, build and create new ideas, new technologies and new companies that can make the world a better place.

None of this is to say that America is perfect, without problems, or free of intolerance, bias etc. But I believe that America, in its very fabric, built into its national DNA, has the greatest potential to improve itself as a society, and provide opportunities for everyone.

When I finally received my US citizenship after living in this country for many years, I did not expect to feel much of anything. I had, after all, lived here for most of my life. I went to high school here. I met my wife here. I felt pretty “American,” whatever that exactly means.

However, as I stood in a massive hall with about 10 thousand other almost citizens, I started chatting to a few folks around me. Turns out there were three other fellow Africans right near me, and as we spoke, we all became more excited. A number of us had lived in Europe and the UK before coming to the US, others had come straight from Africa to the USA, but we were all unanimous in our feeling that the US was the best country in the world, and we wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.

No one was more surprised than I was when, as I took the Oath of Allegiance, I found myself tearing up, and becoming very emotional. There was something concrete about this final step, something special that I suddenly experienced, something visceral, unexpected, yet deeply moving.

This is perhaps the difference in my feelings on this Independence Day from many other Americans. I don’t take this country for granted. I have seen much of the world firsthand and so I know that this country is exceptional, and I am grateful to G-d and to my fellow Americans for allowing me to live here, to be a citizen, to be part of the American dream.

If there is one thing that I think is “the problem” with America, it is that too many Americans take their country for granted, constantly talking about what is “wrong” in this country (there are many things that are wrong – I could give you my own extensive list) but they never bother to focus on the many, many things that are “right.” If we never focus on and appreciate what is right, we will never be able to improve on the things that are wrong.

So my message to my fellow Americans this 4th of July is this: appreciate how lucky we all are to live in this amazing and exceptional country, the best country in the world. And in the words of John F. Kennedy, “Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.”