Home Sweet Home

This summer we went to China for about 3 weeks. Initially we stayed at the Jihau Spa and Resort for a conference. Then we traveled around China by trains, planes, buses, taxis, and on foot. We decided before we left that we were not going to make any hotel or travel arrangements other than those required for the conference. This was quite brave as we knew no Chinese whatsoever. However, we are adventurers, so off we went. We traveled from Beijing to Pingyao by train, then from Pingyao to Xian by train, from there we flew to Shanghai, and then to Hong Kong by train. We used the buses, taxis, and our feet to see the sites. It was a wonderful opportunity, and I would love to go back.
But I was never so impressed with a feeling of love for my own country, as I was during those days of travel. For so long, we have been inundated with the idea that something is wrong with our country. It has been so intense that I think that we as a people have come to despise America. We have looked at the ugly underbelly of America as portrayed by today's politicians. We have heard her criticized by the Hollywood elite. Those constructing our acceptable attitudes on global this and global that have leveled charges against us that make us feel guilty because they accuse us of hogging the worlds resources.
I was beginning to believe all of this until I travelled through China. First of all, I must say, I did notice that we are indeed fortunate. But we are fortunate because we have such a great political system, and a great government. This is so, when compared to other countries, and their resultant situations.
Secondly, I noticed that we are far better conservationists than China. We care more for our environment than they do. I did not see the blue sky at all while traveling because of pollution. Additionally, our country is cleaner than China because our infrastructure has been maintained. Their water is unsafe to drink. Trains just dump their waste right onto the tracks. The tracks run through their agricultural districts and cities! Vendors set up everywhere, and since there are no public facilities, they must utilize every nook and cranny. Additionally, when there are public facilities, you are not allowed to flush toilet paper. Thus, I will forever associate unpleasant smells with China.
But what really bothered me is that during the conference, the people waiting on us "foreigners" did things that made us "their guest" feel as if we were accustomed to wasting food and energy. Such as, posting signs preaching about the evils of wasting food in the dining rooms! And becoming upset if the electricity was left on in the rooms. And charging extra for every perceived extravagance, such as air conditioning.
Yet, as I travelled around China, I found that as a matter of practice, businesses in China were great wasters of energy, and no one seemed to mind. For example, their stores are three sided. The front of the stores have no windows or doors; they are wide open. Often these establishments were being air conditioned. In Hong Kong, the weather was horrid. It was so extremely hot and humid; thus, the cool air from the air conditioners actually caused mini storms as you walked into the three sided establishments. The waste of energy by these stores across China must be exorbitant. I cannot believe that we use up even a fraction of energy as China and Hong Kong.
I think it has become fashionable to bash America, and put us through guilt trips. It is our punishment for being so successful. I believe that the world is jealous of us. The politicians in America want power so much that they are willing to trash our country to convince us that we are in need of change; simply to gain that power. The Hollywood elite justify their shameful salaries, for little to no work, by trashing our country just to remove the spotlight from them.
Everyone should take a trip abroad just to learn to appreciate our country again. It is well worth the time and money spent.
I love my country. It may not be perfect, but it is the best. Since I know we cannot have Heaven on Earth, I will settle for what we have. And what we have is the best of everything. The reason we have the best of everything is because our country was established and grown by the following beliefs. We believe that our government came about by, we the people, for, we the people; and it was established, thusly, because we have been endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights, and all that that entails.