4/3/2014

America
America (by which I mean The United States of America) is big. We are a large country by land mass and population, and our military and economic supremacy is largely unquestioned. We have a large population, contributing to a diverse, complex culture which (for the most part) celebrates diversity, difference, debate, and discussion. Big defines three important aspects of America: our size physically and influentially, and the nature of the American Dream. I grew up in Seattle, between the mountains and the sea. When I think about my favorite parts of America I think of our parks and forests. When I think of America and what I value most in our country I see the land: swamps, prairies, mountains, deserts, and the sea. Our land, our natural resources, have been key to our success and they are a fundamental part of our psyche. Our parks and forests represent the last vestiges of the frontier. They inspire us and are one of our few, truly irreplaceable treasures. Big also represents Americas constant push for expansion - the frontier that we still seek today. America has been expanding since its birth. First, we moved across the continent and took over a great deal of land at the expense of others. We fought Mexico for most of the Southwest, Texas, and Mexico. We bought Alaska and acquired Hawaii (pushing peoples around as we went). Once we were as geographically big as we could be we began to grow into an economic and military giant and today Americas influence covers the globe. We are, today, a big and ever growing nation. America as a country has always dreamed big. Just as we expanded territorially, we have grown in global influence. Ever since the First World War America has had a major role in

world politics. While the economies of Europe were crippled by war, ours boomed, leaving us one of the most economically prosperous nations in the world today. Our position of power in the UN and the multinational corporations based here ensure that America is powerful all over the globe. Our countrys policy is such that we must always strive to have a hand in everything, to be a leader in every issue, as such we have a big presence in the world. The culture of the United States is big. We pride ourselves on being a melting pot where all sorts of people can come and be assimilated into America while maintaining their identity. To many a big America represents opportunity. We have resources to spare and the size of our industries and economy mean that there are many opportunities for self-advancement. As an immigrant it is much easier to find a place in a big society because there are so many places to be found. Those who dream big see America as the entity big enough to hold their ideas or as a platform of sufficient size on which to build them. Big and America mean very different things to different people but all of us can agree that America is big. Not only that, but our size is a defining feature that shapes our actions and perceptions as well as those of the rest of the world. Our influence, our diversity and complexity, our size, our population, and our beautiful lands are what make America big. If we werent big what would we be?