You know, it's easy to be a pessimist these days, where sin and immorality have no shame. It is easy to be frightful when you think about discrimination of Christians and the looming threat of ISIS. But I am not going to talk about that today. No, I want to share with America - and anyone else who might see this, to tell you why I am still proud of America. In America, we still have citizens who will speak their minds, defend their faith, argue using reason, and still proudly wear their red, white and blue. In America, we have Ford trucks, Chevy trucks, drag races, hot rods, fast motorcycles, Harley Davidson, Mustangs, Camaros, Chargers, Challengers, Corvettes, and Dodge Vipers. We have good old-fashioned American roller coasters, with American names. We have Monster Trucks, Tractor Pulls, Motorcross, NHRA, and NASCAR! We've got more ways to celebrate the invention of the wheel than I know how to count! In America, we have cheese burgers, New York pizza, Chicago Deep Dish pizza, Angus steak, 'French' fries, Grilled Chicken Sandwiches, Macaroni and Cheese, Black-eyed Peas, and Green Beans, Hot Dogs, and Chili! We have BBQ, KFC, Baconators, and sandwiches called the Beefeater! We have Sweet Potato Pie, New York Cheese Cake, Cookies and Cream Ice Cream, Hot Fudge Sundaes, and Home Made Ice Cream...heck - I could stop right there! But wait - there's more! In America we have God fearin', gun-totin', rubber-squealin', red-blooded, 2nd Amendment protectin', Walmart shoppin', rough and ready rednecks, who can be all that and still get along with... Color wearin', straight-up rappin', basketball scorin', large rim drivin', hip-hop dancin', hard core gangsta, who can still get along with... back breaking, pizza making, cold winter surviving, always swearing, New York loving yankee - we won't say they can get along, but, Hey - they're still Americans! People of all stereotypes live throughout America, and yet MOST OF THE TIME, when they aren't front and center on the news, and they happen to not be part of political agenda that day - THEY GET ALONG! In America we have Baseball, Football, Basketball, the Major League, NFL, NBA, College Gameday, College Football, Tigers and Gamecocks, College World Series, and MMA. We have more sports than you can shake a stick at - and most of them you can watch while eating a burger, hot dog, or pizza at the same time! In America we have Hollywood, summer blockbusters, Broadway, rock concerts, pro wrestling, dinner theatres, little theatres, and Shakespeare in the park. We have or have had Tom Selleck, Bruce Willis, Dwayne the Rock Johnson, Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Lee, John Wayne, Mr. T, and Chuck Norris! Side note - name another country that has Chuck Norris...that's right, you can't...because America is the only country that can contain him! In America we have or have had Elvis Pressley, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Metallica, MCHammer, Michael Jackson, Arethra Franklin, Sammy Davis Jr., the Eagles...just to name a few. In America we have A-10s, F-16s, F-15s, F-18s, F-22s, F-35s, B1Bs, Apaches, B2s, F117s, Ospreys, and Chinooks, and a whole lot of Air Power. We have Navy SEALS, Delta Force, Marine Recon, Air Force PJ's, and the baddest mugs on the planet in our military. We have a whole lot of boats, a whole lot of tanks, a whole lot of planes, and a whole lot of carriers - and we have and have had the greatest fighting force on the planet. Yes, you can say I am proud to live in a country that has all that. In America we have or have had Hot Wheels, Hasbro, Monopoly, Transformers, GIJoe, PacMan, Contra, Super Mario, Metroid, Sonic, the DC and Marvel Universe. Sure that stuff is present all around the world, but all of those things got their sure footing right here in America, and had a huge impact on my childhood. In America we still have the Constitution (for now), the American Flag (for now), great American icons like George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, and the dollar bill (for now). All these things I have shared - these are things that have made or still make America great - and unique from any other place in the world. And I only scratched the surface. Sure, there are those out there, including myself, who think all these things are in jeopardy. But while you celebrate July 4th this summer, and who knows for how many more - think about all these things I listed. Right now we still have this. We still stand out; you can put us in a lineup with a lot of other citizens from other nations and pick us out pretty quick. I am proud to stand out - just as I am proud to stand out as a Christian. But celebrate with your families this weekend, and hold on to hope...hope that America remains unique. Hope that America lasts. And Hope that America will somehow turn its eyes on God once again. God bless the USA!