I’ve never been a fan of soccer, but I have recently become a fan of soccer fans.
You should, too.
The World Cup has been going on in the United States for a couple weeks now, and people from all over the world have been coming to – and falling in love with – America.
It makes me prouder than ever of our country, and a little ashamed that it took foreigners to wake so many of us up to all the greatness of our country, especially as we celebrate the 250th signing of the Declaration of Independence. We (including Yours Truly) have been taking too much for granted for too long.
Folks from Japan have been discovering firearms and beef (I am not going to call the Texas style of slow-cooking beef barbecue). I heard tell of a Polish couple who want to establish a proper Eastern North Carolina barbecue restaurant in their home city after experiencing the rapture of pepper-vinegar marinated whole hog in Johnston County. A Scots couple were in tears over how they were treated so lovingly in a diner in Alabama, where they were introduced to banana pudding. More Scottish visitors drank the City of Boston under the table and were bid farewell by the Boston Police Department’s bagpipers on flights out.
A pair of English girls who were amazed by the heat were even more amazed by air conditioning. Freddy from Germany, my personal favorite tourist, was kind of a pathfinder for other World Cup visitors, introducing them to Waffle House, Buc-ee’s, country music and much more as he and his companions saw their “Americana” road trip go viral on social media.
Other Germans and Eastern Europeans were confused by the lack of public rail service, only to discover six-lane highways that drivers can use without having government permission, and two-lane roads where people wave at strangers and police don’t demand to know where you are going and why.
I read a post from one visitor who was amazed at hearing people discussing their support and/or criticism of elected officials on television and even in person, in public. She had to hide her country of origin, because dissent gets one arrested back in her hometown. She was in tears at how people disagreed but still loved their country.
My bride speculated that the number of green card applicants will skyrocket in the weeks and months to come.
Naturally there are those who simply cannot stand seeing this love for America; a major magazine that has no use for unwashed patriotic peons took issue with all the positive coverage of foreigners falling for America. They sent out a team to find visitors who would tell the “real” story of uncouth racist right-wing extremists dodging bullets and being attacked by Baptists with Bibles.
The story ended up being a desperate, contrived failure.
A whole lot of countries may want to see America fall, but a whole lot of people from those countries have discovered a love of America.
The timing of this couldn’t be better, as so many Americans are waking back up and remembering the incredible gift God has granted us. It’s about time, we recognized what the Founders realized and recorded: that the United State of America is exceptional, and always has been. Especially after years of being told America was bad, evil, greedy, racist, and backward.
There’s a reason America is being enjoyed by so many folks from around the world, and why so many people want to come here: because we are different. America has always been different from the rest of the world.
Regardless of what the purple-headed, septum-ringing, soy-drinking, animal-worshipping leftists scream, this country is not a dictatorship. We have the ability to address our elected representatives and change our government leaders when they don’t meet our expectations. There are too many sore losers with lawyers who want to drag us to the same level as the socialist sewers overseas, sewers where the sore losers hope that they can be the ruling class rats. Those same folks are the ones who support a corrupt system of voting, so they can control the vote for their own benefit. They’re the same folks who don’t want to work harder but want to benefit from the hard work of others, and are willing to sue somebody if they don’t get what they want.
I’m sure some of our visitors have noticed these types as well, just as I am sure there are probably some visitors who are looking down their noses and sniffing disdainfully at the very things so many freedom-loving Americans – and enraptured visitors – are enjoying.
Thankfully, many more people are realizing the greatness, the wonder, yes even the superiority of America, qualities that shine despite our differences, our struggles and our problems.
America ain’t perfect, but for so many people, it’s much better than what they call home. Our World Cup visitors have seen this, and we needed to be reminded.
One of the visitors who was interviewed said something that sticks out in my mind: If you want to hate America, watch the media. If you want to love America, go meet the people.
I think even we Americans are doing more of that now, as we come up on an anniversary that so many said would never happen. People are looking at their country differently, even without hearing the praise of foreigners, and once again realizing what we have.
Only in America do you have the chance to succeed if you work hard. Only in America can you safely stand up and say “No” to those put in charge of your future. Only in America can you own a firearm to defend yourself, to hunt or just because. Only here can you attend or ignore the church of your choice, without the government requiring or prohibiting you from attending. Only here are the laws designed to treat every person equally. Only in America can a reporter not have to worry about the government shutting down a newspaper and throwing people in jail because someone had the temerity to be critical. Only in America can you openly question whether those in charge truly have your best interests in mind, and step up to run for office against them if you disagree and think you can do better.
Only in America could banana pudding and air conditioning have the same impact on an immigrant that wide open spaces and untouched forests had on others centuries ago.
It took the child-like amazement of foreign visitors to put all that is good about our country in front of the world again.
We must never let that magic, that spirit, that love for this wonderful land ever be forgotten again.
