The World Cup of Soccer has been brought to America, along with most of the rest of the world. This has been touted as the greatest World Cup event in history in terms of visitors and ticket sales. Now, I must admit, I am not a soccer fan, but the preparation our U.S. Soccer Federation has done, along with FIFA, has so far turned out spectacularly. America has gone all out for this event, our first since 1994. So, we have rolled out the red carpet for the first time in 32 years, and it shows. The games have been sold out, and everyone is having a great time with very little trouble. This, as was hoped, will turn out to be the best one ever……even if America doesn’t win on the field, we will have won on the world stage.
I have only watched America beat Paraguay, and I didn’t see all of it…..as I said, not a big fan of soccer. What I really enjoy watching and listening to is what the visitors from foreign countries have to say about America. It has been amazing listening to them!
To a person, foreigners have been impressed with our food, our stadiums, our friendliness, and everything else American. There is one Scottish gentleman who regularly posts on Facebook about his experiences so far. He is so impressed with us, even our trucks, food, cold beer (he said he can’t drink it warm like in Scotland anymore!), stadiums, yes, even cheerleaders, and just the overall abundance we Americans have. He is envious because, in Europe, according to him, there is nothing like this over there.
I have seen quite a few others say the same thing. Some have said they don’t want to go home because everything is better here: prices, homes, grocery stores, restaurants, transportation, no speech restrictions, and mostly generous, smiling Americans welcoming them here. Listening to them makes me think, what is wrong with us?
We live in the most accomplished, beautiful, spacious, fertile, and free place on Earth….yet we don’t see it. It takes a person who does not live like us to point that out. Every day, someone is bitching about something here…gas is too high, can’t afford food, houses are too expensive, too many guns here, defund the police and I.C.E., let’s tear things up and burn cars when we don’t get our way. Some of us have become the worst……and that is because they can. They chose their own path, poor as it was, but they chose it. They couldn’t in other places. You can be gay here….not in Afghanistan, or other Middle Eastern countries.
In America, you can say horrible things about elected leaders, call them whatever, and nothing happens as long as you don’t say you want to kill them. In 2023, 12,000 arrests were made in England for online communications or Facebook posts! ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?? Can you imagine if that happened here? In 1997, The Firearms act imposed near total bans on handguns in England……30 years later, you’re arrested for facebook posts! I saw foreigners go into Bass Pro Shops and were amazed that some had shooting ranges. They could not imagine that kind of freedom that we take for granted, along with all our other freedoms.
We are far more fortunate than the rest of the world. Our economy is the best in the world by far; our resources are plentiful; our companies make the best things for us and the world; and our people are free to become who they want. Others can’t say that. We can. God did bless us, and we should be thankful.
I saw a poll that said 90% of Republicans love America, but only 29% of Democrats. That is not me making a political statement…..that is the numbers. EVERYONE should love this country, politics be damned. We really need to look at ourselves, then get down on our knees, and thank God for how blessed we are. We are not perfect, we can’t be, we’re human. We make mistakes, but we can because we live in a place that allows us to make them.
There are a number of stories of people who have gone to prison and then made something of their lives. There are others who have lived in poverty and become Vice President! It can be done here. I hear people say they are leaving here because of our politics……but they almost never do because there is no place better, and the ones that do (Ellen DeGeneres, for example) want to come back, but can’t because they renounced their citizenship. We are blessed, and some of us don’t know it or care too!
Watching the World Cup and its visitors has made me realize how lucky I am to be born here. This country allowed me to grow up loved, well taught, and to appreciate my blessings. I have done well for a small-town truck driver turned township trustee turned Commissioner. Now I enjoy retirement, because I was allowed to work hard and earn it…….Can that happen anyplace else? Maybe, but according to our World Cup visitors, NO, this is the place to be……and we should all be thankful God gave us a country so we can be all that we can be! Let’s be thankful for that!
