I love me some America. So should you.

My parents and I took a trip to Nashville, TN 2 weeks ago to go to the Grand Ole Opry. Included on the list of performers were: Martina McBride, Trace Adkins, Wynona (Judd) and Lee Greenwood. The concert was pretty amazing...and a little wierd at the same time. The Grand Ole Opry is shown on GAC (a country music tv channel) and is also broadcast on the radio. Every 2-3 minutes during the first half of the show (before the big stars perform) the MC has to read an adverstisement. Very repetitive and slightly annoying, but somehow it adds to the charm of the show.



Back to the performers: While all of the performers were incredible(!!!) I had the most goose bumps with Lee Greenwood's performance. Lee Greenwood sang "God Bless the USA" and received a standing ovation from the minute he started his song to the moment it ended. Almost everyone sang the words with him and you couldnt help but feel the amazing amount of patriotism in that room.



In a time where the US is polarized between those who call themsevles Reblicans and those that call themselves Democrats, those that support the war and those that don't, those who are pro-life and those who are pro-choice, etc etc., I think that it is very easy to forget just how lucky we are to be American citizens. We live in a country where we can go to church on Sunday and not worry about being persecuted for our beleifs. A country where we can go to a pizza joint and not worry about a suicide bomber entering the restaurant. A country where we can speak out against our government to make our opinions known. A country where we can VOTE for our political leaders. Yes, there are many things in the US that should change, but overall this is a pretty amazing country to belong to.



In his song, Lee Greenwood states: "I'm proud to be an American, where at least I know I'm free. And I won't forget the men who died, who gave that right to me"



In times when you might be angry at America for its politics, its failures, and its wrong decisions you can NEVER forget the men and women that are serving and have served this country to keep it free. Military members are self-less, they serve and risk their lives so that we can be free and so that we can speak our minds, even if we are speaking out against the war that they are fighting.

So, thank you to every service member in the US military (and their families). Without your bravery and selflessness we wouldn't be living in the land of the free.