America has been going through a hard time this year.

Acts of racism and hate, destructive riots and the COVID-19 pandemic have all seemed to dominate the news. Many people recently have also been very open about their hate towards America, demanding for monumental changes to the way our country is run. 

America is not perfect. However, it is important to be reminded of all of the wonderful reasons why America is one of, if not the most, fantastic country on Earth.

Opportunity is one of the key reasons America is a great country. Everyone has a chance to be successful and rich if they work for it. Though being successful in America definitely varies in difficulty based on many factors, the fact that everyone in this country has a chance is taken for granted by many Americans. 

A prime example of this is Jeff Bezos, the CEO of Amazon and the richest person in the world. Bezos was born to a teenage mother who was still in high school. He grew up without his biological father, but his grandfather was able to be a father figure to him growing up. 

Bezos credits much of his success to his grandfather for teaching him the value of hard work on his farm. Bezos was then able to translate that lesson into his academics, where he was then able to attend the prestigious Princeton University, and, eventually, become the CEO and billionaire people know today. 

The Constitution also demonstrates what makes America great. What makes the Constitution such an important piece of our country is the rights, rules and checks & balances it gives to the people and government. The first amendment gives the American people the right to free speech, which surprisingly many countries do not have. The checks and balances it gives to the government makes it so that one branch of government cannot become too powerful and take away any of the rights the constitution gives to the people.

What additionally makes America superior is the US military. The US military is the biggest, most equipped and best trained military on the planet. There are very little if not any weaknesses in the US military today. 

In fact, without the military America would not exist. Through its militia (which was much smaller and weaker at the time), American soldiers were able to fight for the independence of their nation. They won against the British, who had the largest and most powerful military at the time, during the Revolutionary War.

The US military today serves the American people in the same way it did in the 1700’s, protecting the American people’s rights and keeping other countries from being overtaken. 

The United States is obviously far from being perfect, no country is close to being perfect. However, America is still one of the greatest nations to ever exist. Through the media and the news, most of the time the negative side of our country is constantly displayed.

It is important for American citizens to remember to be grateful for the country they live in and the rights, opportunities and privileges that they have.