Why we should all be grateful Americans

The American dream has been something we have seen and heard about for centuries. People are coming from far and wide, visiting from other nations, to learn about our nation and our diversity. People also develop a love for America and what our Founding Fathers helped create for us. Our democracy and freedoms are two things people look for in the United States when considering opportunities, and to build better lives for themselves and their families. 

We have the strongest military, an effective health care system, people, and organizations who care about serving others through volunteering. We should all be grateful for what we have and for being able to call ourselves Americans. While service members and the military aren’t perfect, we owe them a debt of gratitude for the freedoms and opportunities they protect.

Many of the people who built our nation were immigrants. Many of us here now have some attachment to a close or distant family member from another nation around the world. We should be thankful for them coming to America, starting families, following through with innovative ideas, and making the path better than those who came before them. We evolved over the years with growing pains. 

At times we couldn’t recognize what was best for us, how to get the work done, and who we would choose to be our leaders. This led to protests, disagreements, violence, wars, military service, and sacrifice. Did events ranging from the Vietnam War to the Civil Rights and Peace Movements happen to make our nation stronger? The answer should be yes, whether we disagreed with them or not. 

The Vietnam War and all those who served in the war didn’t get the recognition they deserved from day one. To this date, we are still late to recognize their service and sacrifice. We can’t go back in time, but we can say for certainty that these men and women who put their lives on the line for others were true Americans. 

And we all should be grateful for their service. The Civil Rights and Peace Movements made our nation come together in the name of Martin Luther King, Jr. His work was difficult and tireless, yet he drove on, and his message to others will never be forgotten. We should be grateful for what he has done for all Americans. 

Our military has endured some of the hardest battles, losing men and women who were living the American dream, advancing not only their own lives but those of others. When we look at every war, from WWI to current operations in the Middle East, those who haven’t served need to do everything they can to recognize these courageous men and women. 

Service members are not perfect, and neither are those who haven’t served, but they do put service above self. When they sign the line, they are committing themselves to wherever they are needed at any time.

When they leave the service, stepping back to ask questions and understand the journey they went through is critical to forming positive relationships and welcoming each of them with open arms. The transition from military to civilian life is a difficult one that most Americans cannot understand if they haven’t been through experienced it firsthand. We should be grateful for their service, their sacrifice, and their commitment to helping the 99 percent remain safe and enjoy freedoms. 

One important freedom we enjoy is free, open dialogue about vital issues. For example, our health care system is not perfect, and we have all disagreed or shed light on what we think a sound health care system should look like. Sometimes we have to deal with discomfort and change as opposed to resistance to change.

Will the current model of health care be sustainable for future generations? Will Medicare for all be the answer to providing everyone with access to quality health care, without long wait times due to provider shortages and burnout, among other things? Will, the current model of health care, put us in a stronger financial position compared to a rapid shift to a Medicare for All model?

Will the Department of Veterans Affairs see a trend of fewer veterans using the system over the next decade because of their current strategies? Being able to have discussions like these are something we can do because of our freedoms in America. Health care in this country is an area other nations are so interested to learn more about. Japan, Europe, UK, Canada, and others all visit the United States to learn about our practices. In turn, we can learn from them as well.

There’s nothing like being able to have an open-ended discussion about health care and what direction we should move in. We should be grateful we have clinics, community hospitals, veteran and military hospitals, charity care, philanthropists, and nonprofit organizations that seek to pursue better and longer lives for all Americans and others around the world. 

When we see dictatorships and decreased freedoms, think about how we live in a democracy where we are not subjected to constant oversight. When we see other nations and their military power, think about the power of the United States military. Whether we have disagreed in the past or at present, we should all be grateful Americans because we are one people. God Bless America. 

Andrew Vernon is a former career employee at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and is a Veteran of the U.S. Army. Vernon is currently Founder & President of Andrew Vernon & Associates, an organization dedicated toward supporting veterans and their families. He holds a Master of Health Administration from the Columbia University Joseph L. Mailman School of Public Health and a Master of Education from the University of Maine.