Privileged

Today, I was walking to my car on the way home from class and I saw a funeral procession being led by 2 police cars. As I saw the cars rolling through the intersection, it struck me how awesome it is to be an American.

The USA is a really neat country.

With all of the political craziness going on right now, it's good to remember that the fundamental freedoms and privileges we enjoy here are still available. I know I need to be more grateful for that.

Take the Police Force for instance:
- How awesome is it that we can call loyal citizens to come help us when we need them? I remember in Russia how corrupt the police force was. They could pull you over at any time (which actually happened to my host dad at one point) and without any cause could give you a ticket, or you could just pay them off and be on your way (which is what my host dad did). Thank goodness we live in a country where police officers take their job seriously. I'm so glad to know that at any point I feel unsafe, honest law enforcement is just a phone call away.

Or how about our Flag?
- Any time a tragedy happens at any point in our nation, the flags are lowered to half mast. I love that. I remember after the several shootings we've had this year, each time I drove home I saw the flags at half mast all over Lubbock. It's so comforting to know that when one city or county or state is hurting, the rest of the country is on their side, mourning with them regardless of political affiliation.

These are 2 simple, but powerful examples of how amazing our country is. Regardless of race, political affiliation, religious beliefs, etc... our country serves its people. I just think that's really cool.