Before I begin, I will let you know that I’m a person committed to the principles, processes, policies and events which have all converged over the last 232+ years to make this country the greatest in the world.

Are we problem free society?

Has true equality been achieved?

Is it right that the greed of the 20% most wealthy, powerful financial movers and shakers have created a devastating negative driver of our economy for the remaining 80% of us lay persons: the sub-prime mortgage disaster.

Is it good to have an out of control national debt as well as Social Security and Medicare/Medicaid systems on the brink of bankrupting our future hard earned, well deserved peaceful and secured post-work existence?

Those are questions for each of you to answer.

However, I’m an unabashedly proud and committed American.

Despite our differences and short-comings, we still live in the world’s greatest nation, enjoying freedoms people in other countries can only dream about because theirs is a much harsher existence and in many cases without the hope of ever knowing of anything different, better, more secure and free. Whatever our financial, health, job, or other life situation, we are the fortunate ones. The sooner we engage in stepping outside ourselves, our current individual struggles, and look at the larger landscape of American life and those around us living it, we’ll be in a position to shrug off the pall of national discontent and contribute to creating (or reviving) a new unity, identity, faith, and belief that we have the power to achieve/provide/give all we should and need to achieve together, as one nation.

Don’t look to the nightly news…look around you…look inside you and draw your own conclusions about how “bad/evil/ugly” we are in this land of opportunity.

I practice what I preach. I walk the line. Just this morning, I did what I’ve asked you, each reader, to do. I looked at my beautiful wife and two healthy kids eating pancakes in the kitchen of a house I own, or will in 29-odd years, which is situated a safe neighborhood. It’s a place where I know my neighbors and their families…not just the ones next door, who by the way are Black on one side and middle-Eastern Indian on the other, but nearly all my neighbors on the entire street, again where there are Scots, Asian, Black, and Mexicans families — all honest, hard working, family oriented, friendly, and fun to be around Americans in my eyes.

As a lower-middle class/bordering on poor kid growing up in the 70’s and 80’s, living in a small apartment (or later an 1,1oo sq. ft. rental house with 1 bathroom and four people), being a Brown vs. the Board of Education bused student in Charlotte, N.C., I would have never dreamed life would be so good, so full of promise, so integrated, so rich. You see, in a small way, I am the American dream. For better or worse, I’m a product of those American principles, ideals, sacrifices, courage, honor, and actions of the founders and generations of contributors to this nation. I hold to these tightly. Why? It’s simple. Anything genuine, real, and true is of the highest value…it’s priceless, eternal, pure, as well as requires protecting, defending, and sharing. It’s something I need to be reminded of occasionally.

It’s our America and we have the freedom to choose both its destiny and spirit. We are Americans. We are the fortunate ones. We are the privileged irrespective of our current place within society as it doesn’t define who we are but we define who we are within it. We have the capacity for the greatest good the world has ever known.

I am the American dream…so are you.