I’m Randy Feldman.
While watching and reading the news this past weekend I had some sentimental moments where I felt extremely proud to be an American.
First, I was so proud of my country that we convinced the United Nations to pass a resolution calling for the international community to join forces against Muammar el-Qaddafi to stop him from killing his own people. It was good to see us stand with others, including some Arabic countries, to act jointly against the Qaddafi. The US is in no position to act alone in this, so convincing other countries to join us was the only viable approach available to us. It was nice to see our diplomatic efforts convince Russia, China and others to allow joint international action. It was good to see the U.S. and Obama Administration be so effective on the world stage.
Saturday’s news notified us that we began airstrikes to stop Qaddafi troops from slaughtering his own people and that our military progress was working. We in the US spend 40% of all the money spent in the whole world on the military, a figure that must be reduced for budgetary reasons, but it was nice to see how the military resources we bring can be so effective.
Then Sunday I saw Steven Chu, the Nobel Prize winning scientist who is our Secretary of Energy on CNN commenting upon the nuclear reactor problems in Japan. I was happy that our country is so based on merit that a Nobel winning scientist can achieve such a high political position.
I was also so grateful, proud and impressed that CNN exists, a true worldwide network that tries its best to deliver the news as objectively as possible. I thought about how it’s this type of creativity, passion, professionalism and integrity that makes America great. The New York Times and Wall Street Journal were built in the same mold.
I thought about how Asia, China and Japan can out produce us with their diligence and discipline, both abroad and at home with Asian-ancestry children doing so well here in the US, yet it is classic American ingenuity and creativity that brings us Apple products, cloud computing, the internet, smart and cell phones, Google, Facebook, Twitter and other scientific and technological breakthroughs.
I so appreciate how our fellowAmericans are unafraid to lead, to create or recreate products, ideas or ourselves, and most off, how we are unafraid to fail, knowing that we can dust ourselves off after a failure and try again. I’m so proud to live among people who are risk takers in a culture that allows us the freedom to define ourselves.
Saturday night I danced and drank at Beatnick’s Pub in Worcester to great rhythm and blues, funk infused rock music and thought about how this music was created right here in the United States. I thought of the gay couple on the dance floor right next to me and how wonderful it is that our society is open minded so that gays and straights can mix together while going out.
The next morning, I thought again about our Secretary of Education, Steven Chu, a Chinese American speaking about the nuclear reactors in Japan, and was so proud of our country again, a country where people can come as immigrants and work their way to the top by their own smarts and ambition. I thought of Sergey Brin, the computer scientist from Russia who co-founded Google, of Vinod Khoska from India who co-founded Sun MicroSystems, Pierre Omidar, from France, who co-founded Yahoo and Andre Grove, born in Hungary who co-founded eBay and local fellow Hungarian Robert Nemeth who became the long time-editor of the Worcester Telegram and Gazette here in Worcester and local entrepreneur Jit Saxena who first founded Applix in Westborough and Netezza in Marlborough.
I then thought of how the same opportunities are available to all Americans, like Bill Clinton who was basically raised by a single mother and through hard work and perseverance, first at Georgetown University and Yale Law school, then as a Governor, before becoming President of the United States and how Deval Patrick, Barak Obama, Ronald Regan, Jimmy Carter, Richard Nixon and Lyndon Johnson all came from meager means and all lifted themselves up to become President of the United States, as did did Warren Buffett and Bill Gates lift themselves. I thought of my own grandfather, an orphan farm worker in Russia who became a meat butcher in America and how all his grandchildren are now educated and professionals.
Lastly, I read reports of how the Japanese have survived their earthquake and tsunami by emphasizing a value that we Americans can learn from them to exercise more in our own lives. The absolute self-sacrifice for the good of others that we see in the Japanese nuclear workers who refused to look out for their own safety more than the good of the nation; the absolute nobility of serving others - a truly impressive national trait the Japanese have. I wished we had more of it here.
It was quite a weekend for me I hope yours was good too.
This is Randy Feldman on WCRN’s Midday Reports. For more commentary check out my website bigmouthmanifesto.com
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