We all have been taught that the United States is an exceptional country, as well as heard numerous proclamations by our fellow Americans that we are the greatest country on the face of the Earth, and even perhaps that we are the greatest country that the world has ever known.
I have been fortunate enough to have been to approximately 40 countries and to have worked and communicated with people from many places. We truly are exceptional. Here are some of the ways:
We love guns and possess somewhere around 300 million of them, resisting almost all gun regulation despite our extraordinary gun violence. We even prevent government-funded research into gun violence.
We have a major political party that values gun rights more than a right to health care — thus it is not surprising that even though we spend almost twice as much on health care per capita as the average developed nation, our results, when compared to other OECD nations, are frequently poor, particularly on infant mortality.
We have a president and administration that deny climate change and are the only country to have pulled out of the Paris climate accord.
We are so deeply partisan and fact-averse that despite our educational opportunities, we are easily susceptible to foreign election interference because we readily believe the worst of people with whom we disagree.
We have a substantial element of citizens who deeply oppose contraception availability even though the result of such frequently is unwanted babies born into poverty or aborted.
We have a government that asserts we have starved our military and its needs despite the fact that we spend more on the military than the seven next highest-spending nations combined.
Our country does have many accomplishments of which to be proud, but I fervently hope that in my remaining years we become less “exceptional” so that my grandchildren can enjoy a greater quality of life.
— Lawrence Casazza, Chicago
