A lot is being made of the demise of America and the decline of American exceptionalism these days.  All I seem to hear about are things like defaulting on our 14 trillion dollar debt, the destruction of our currency, the last space shuttle flight and rumored price increases at Starbucks.

This just goes to show you how the media always gets it wrong by dramatizing trivial news items just to get ratings.

Personally, I think the media is rather shallow.

That said, I recently experienced a true life inspirational American story.  And of course it’s the type of human interest story you never hear in the mainstream media.

It happened at work the other day.  I was talking to Steve, a friend and business associate of mine, who told me he just bought a ginormous 60 inch flat screen TV.  I, of course, was full of total admiration and television envy.  Even more so as it dawned on me that he had bought a TV bigger than his cubicle at work.

The thought caused me to swell up with pride.  All Americans aspire to owning ginormous flat screen TV’s.  This was the American dream writ large.  If owning a flat screen TV bigger than your cubicle is not American exceptionalism, well, I just don’t know what is.

I walked back from his cubical thinking, is this a great country or what?

So I wanted to share that inspirational story with you in the hope that it reinforces your belief in America like it did mine.

Forget all the trivial news about trillion dollar debt defaults, endless budget debates and currency destruction (although the Starbucks thing is problematic).

Let’s just focus on things of real lasting significance.  Like a recent speech from one of our dedicated Washington Congressmen when he said, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all people are endowed with certain unalienable rights like Life, Liberty, the pursuit of Happiness and Big Screen TV’s.”

You just can’t go far wrong with that, now can you?

Have a nice day – J. Daniel

Note 1:  It’s rumored the Congressman received big dollar campaign contributions from Best Buy, but I find that rather hard to believe.
Note 2:  Also rumored – the Congressman is a Constitutional revisionist.  You decide.
Note 3:  Further rumored that the Congressman was from Idaho and sucking up to the CPPAC – Couch Potato Political Action Committee.  Now that’s just cynical and crass!