Forgotten and Overlooked American contributions

Amidst all the discouraging news that we are facing in the fight for our very existence, I took a few minutes last night and sat down with my daughter to watch Toy Story. Without fail, from the moment we hear “When you wish upon a star…” intro to Disney movies her eyes light up (as do mine most of the time). This gave me pause and I took a moment to thank God for all the good things in America that are often forgotten, overlooked or just taken for granted. So in hopes of everyone having a great holiday weekend, I decided to put together a list of my favorite American contributions to the world. Feel free to add your favorites to the list. Walt Disney – Without the freedom to fail and try again, the freedom to be as creative as you want, there would not have been Walt Disney. And without Walt Disney, imagine how many starry-eyed kids and wonder-filled smiles the world would not have seen. Elvis, i.e. Rock and Roll – My husband debates me on this point but I stand firm that he is the King of Rock and Roll for a reason. Again, the creativity that comes from freedom to pursue your dreams and realize your strengths and abilities can give rise to the creation of something the world has never seen, or in this case heard, before. And before Elvis, the world had never heard the likes of Heartbreak Hotel, Jailhouse Rock, Don’t Be Cruel and All Shook Up. And that in turn created a genre of music that still lives today all over the world. Movies – Do I need to say more? As much as I object to the content of some of today’s films, you do not see widely acclaimed movies coming out of Poland or Iran or Taiwan. We invented the industy as we know it today, which is surprising that so many in Hollywood oppose the conservative values of our founders. It is exactly those values that allow them to do what they do and make a killing doing it. Tiffany’s – Ahhhh, every girl’s favorite gift. A little blue box with a white ribbon tied perfectly. Tiffany set the standard for silver in America by insisting on 925 parts per 1000 for all sterling silver jewelry. Before that, no one had any standard for silver jewelry. DuPont – Beginning by improving gun-powder in this country, this company has gone on to provide this country and the world with much scientific innovation. Nylon, Teflon, Tyvek, and Nomex (fire-proof material) and Kevlar (bullet proof material) to name a few. Consider this, DuPont donated booties to the canines who were sniffing the remains of Ground Zero in the days following 9/11 to prevent their paws from burns and damage. Kevlar has saved 3000 lives of officers and those who depend on it to protect themselves from danger. College Football – Feel free to insert your favorite sport here. With the exception of a few, most organized sports have been given the chance to flourish through the free market system. I happen to favor college football and will be tuned in all this weekend. Coca Cola – I understand that Coca Cola doesn’t exactly fall into the “health food” category but to me, there is nothing like the taste of a cold Coke while kicking back to watch a game. Apple – Need I say more? Where would we all be without our iPhones, iPods, iPads or Macs? Sense of Charity – No population in the world is more generous with their money or time than Americans. Freedom – Whatever the French may say about us, fact is most of them would still be living in rural squalor if it weren’t for the principles of freedom that many of their revolutionaries learned from our founding fathers. I dare say that if France had not learned from America, Coco Chanel would have had a snowball’s chance…. And that goes for the rest of the world too. The only countries that know a measure of freedom today were inspired by our “great experiment.” So here’s to a great weekend, and God Bless America!!