yay, america!

In honor of Independence Day, here are some things that I've come to really appreciate about America:

Orderly instincts: The other day, I was on a road that seemed congested for no apparent reason. When I finally neared the intersection, I saw that the stop lights were not functioning. There were no police officers or any traffic directors in sight, but drivers just instinctively treated the intersection as a four-way stop. Huh? People voluntarily stopped and allowed others to pass? It took my breath away.

The honor system: Public libraries let you take books home for free, on your word that you'll bring them back. Open-faced offering plates are passed in churches. Shops keep little containers full of money dedicated to charities right on the counter. Clients let their accountants and lawyers keep track of time worked. Obviously, this doesn't work every time. But it works often enough that the system is kept in use.

Public Defenders: Thanks to the plethora of criminal law dramas, most of us are familiar with the recitation, "You're entitled to a lawyer. If you cannot afford one, one will be provided for you." I once thought this was a great idea as left-leaning member of the citizenry. I thought even better of it after working with a group of public defenders, amazing lawyers who do a thankless job for scrap pay. Now, after working for a year in a foreign criminal justice system -- where if you (like 90% of the population) can't afford an attorney, you're just SOL -- I think this is absolutely essential for a just society.

Working democracy: For the most part, each citizen has one vote and the candidate who gets the most votes wins. Election 2000 was a mess of hanging chads, but guess what? Nobody died. The military did not figure into the outcome in any way, shape or form. The government carried on and, in a few months, someone else will occupy the White House.

Utopia? Hardly. Room for improvement? Certainly. But all things considered, there are plenty reasons to give thanks and celebrate.

Happy 4th!