Me Thinks

In my writing class on Tuesday night, each student was assigned to give a two minute speech about why they love America.  There was quite a variety of thought--one girl picked Target as her favorite thing in America, another spoke of the admiration she felt for her two sisters who were serving in the armed forces.  One student talked about the incredible variety of music and TV shows that she enjoyed, and another said he didn't appreciate America until he left it for awhile.  One female student said that she would be running for president in 2040. The speech below was my favorite speech of the night, given by David Wilde who grew up in  Canada.

Why America is Great

David Wilde

            It was nearly 30 years ago that Ronald Reagan declared, “America is a shining city upon a hill whose beacon light guides freedom-loving people everywhere." This analogy has always been special to me, because I was not born or raised in America. And just as President Reagan’s analogy implies, the beacon of light shining from the hill is often appreciated most by the wayward sailor, struggling to navigate the tempestuous waves beating against him, praying that he might reach the shoreline. As one of the billions who have gazed upon America from the outside looking in, allow me to tell you what we see. When we are asked about the American idea, we think about your founding fathers, who declared that one honest man is of the same worth in God’s eyes as any king. When we are asked about the American Spirit, we think of Walt Disney, who proved that in America, “All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.” And when we are asked about the American heart, we think about the day the City of New York was attacked. On that day, you taught us that when the rest of the world would run out of the buildings to save themselves, Americans choose to run in, armed with nothing more than a bullhorn to save their neighbors. We are drawn to America because it is great. And America is great because her people are good. And so long as this remains to be true, you will continue to be the wonder of the world.