God Bless the USA

I've grown up in the United States hearing about how blessed I am to be a citizen of such a wonderful country. Am I really that lucky to have been born there? True, you hear stories about people suffering in third world countries, people being abused by totalitarian governments, and simply people that are not given the inalienable rights that we are allotted. I'm willing to admit here and now that I never thought much on the matter. Those things are thousands of miles away, and we have our own problems in the United States.

Walking back from lunch today, I was talking to a Master's student working at DLR until his graduation, Ali. He is originally from Iran, but has been in Germany for three and a half years now. He was telling me that when he left, everyone was trying to find a way to get out of the country before things got too bad, and they weren't allowed to leave. Their president, he said, is not liked by anyone in Iran.

When you are old enough to have free thoughts independent from the ideas of the government, you must supress these ideas and feelings. If you openly share your thoughts against the Iranian government, you risk your life. Many people have been killed trying to voice their opinions and oppositions to Iranian policies, but he said, "You don't hear about it because it's kept quiet by the media. They are afraid too." Could you imagine wanting to stand up for what you believe in, but you can't for fear of death? Ali told me he was one of the lucky people who was able to get out of the country. Who else thinks that about the country they live in?

What's funny about this is that I had just read a chain of emails from my fraternity brothers discussing the "cruelty and injustice...intolerance and opression" of our chapter's executive board for locking our kitchen when chapter meals are not in session. Long story short, food was constantly being taken from our kitchen and the area left a mess, so our Alumni Volunteer Council told our executive board that the kitchen is to be locked whenever meals are not being served.

Now, we have people making a huge deal out of the fact that they can't use the kitchen. Yes, I agree, we should be able to use the facilities we pay for (I also agree that it should be well-maintained and taken care of and that people should learn to clean up after themselves, but that's another story.). It simply made me laugh. I went from a conversation about not having the ability to speak freely, fearing for your safety, and fleeing a country to escape true opression. Then, I read a conversation (via email nonetheless) about the opression of not being able to use a facility that was not maintained by any means. It's amazing to me that when no real problems exist, the tiniest of problems can be blown so out of proportion.

How lucky are we in the United States that we have a military out their fighting to protect our country and, more importantly, the ideals it stands for? All so that we may sit at home and complain about not being able to use our kitchen or acting like an asshole because we "didn't get our morning cup of coffee" (like that is a legitimate excuse) or any of the things we take for granted on a daily basis.

How great is it that I can call out these people or the United States government without fearing for my life? How great is it that I am allowed to voice my own opinion, whether it be in line or opposing that of our policies? It's so easy to find something to complain about. He said, "Someone's personal problem is always the biggest problem in the world." What if it wasn't? What if we took the time to recognize that our problems are not as big as we make them out to be and move on?

Anyway, I just wanted to openly reflect on a conversation that opened my eyes to all of the liberties we have as United States citizens. We take a lot for granted, and I encourage you to take a moment to think about all of the greatness that surrounds your life. You live in a country where freedom is encouraged and defended daily. If nothing else, you can share your opinions, your grievances as openly as you wish, and you don't have to worry about losing your life over it. That, to me, is pretty cool.