DON'T YOU JUST LOVE AMERICA??

My friend Tom Westfall wrote this for the Colorado newspaper in his home town. Tom is a great writer; he has four books out about his family's adventures searching for Indian Artifacts on the High Plains that are just a delight to read. This was his piece for the 4th of July:

Don’t you just love America?

Don’t you just love America? Don’t you marvel at this incredible experiment that has ennobled so many and continues to be the envy of nearly every country in the world? I was reminded of this simple but profound truth just this week when the Supreme Court determined that the prisoners held at Guantanamo were in fact, entitled to “their day in court.”
Now personally, I would have sided with Judge Scalia, who noted that America would “rue the day” we made this decision, but here’s what makes America great; a decision was made which granted terrorists the right to a court hearing, and nothing really happened! There was no revolution. The President didn’t order the arrest of the Supreme Court Justices…When asked his opinion, President Bush said that he disagreed with the decision, but it was now the law of the land, and would be followed. Isn’t that amazing?
We live in a nation of checks and balances that allows for civil (and sometimes not so civil) discourse, but which ensures that no one person, no one party, no one branch of government can run rough shod over the other branches of government, or for that matter, the people. Through the ingenuity of our “Founding Fathers,” we have a system in place which sanctions a multitude of divergent opinions and ideas, but which operationally is capable of “resisting the hue and cry of the rabble” and operates in a fairly efficient and effective manner.
On of the most noteworthy accomplishments of our system of government is the “balance” which has been struck between “representative government” and “democracy.” We are a nation founded on democratic principles, but we are not a democracy. Rather, we elect representatives to serve as our voice, but once elected, who serve both at the will of the people and at the dictates of their own consciences. For example, regardless of how many letters Senator Allard receives in favor of a specific issue, his vote will be cast predicated upon what he believes to be in the best interests of the country.
The democratic side of the equation manifests itself in many ways, but most particularly in the concept of “one person, one vote.” In voting, each individual is virtually equal to every other voter, and when exercising the right to vote, can help shape the future direction of the country.
I can distinctly remember the first time I got to vote. I turned 18 just before the election of 1972. I was at college at the time, and walking into that voting booth was awe inspiring. My candidate was soundly defeated, but what I remember most was the personal investment I felt in the process—it was as if Walter Cronkite was speaking directly to me that evening as the results came pouring in. (I wasn’t going to mention that I voted for McGovern, but in the interest of full disclosure, I thought it might be advisable.) (Which further serves to amplify my point—not even the voting behavior of under-educated, wide-eyed idealists, can destroy the greatness of America!)
And so I have hope. Although I am a strong McCain supporter, I believe that it is fairly probable that unless there is some major gaff between now and November, Senator Obama will be the next President. I don’t believe he is even close to being qualified to lead the nation, but in truth, our country will endure his Presidency, mostly without incident. As the second black man to be President (for you “24” fans, you know that David Palmer was actually the first black man to be president), Senator Obama will make some mistakes, he’ll accomplish a few positive things, and within just a very short period of time, we’ll be gearing up for the elections of 2010 and 2012 where the Republicans (and many of the “soon to be disillusioned” swing voters) will try to recapture the House, the Senate, and ultimately, the Presidency.
No matter who wins, the country will survive. No matter who wins, the sun will continue to shine brightly on this nation. There will be some bumps, no doubt, but as Thomas Jefferson noted; only “timid men prefer the calm of despotism to the tempestuous sea of Liberty.” Don’t you just love America??