It's easy to become caught up in the pettiness of everyday politics and lose sight of the big picture. As Americans, all political disagreements aside, we are incredibly lucky. We live in a democracy, where each vote counts toward the final tally: Each of us has a voice in how our nation is governed.
Most people in the world are hardly as lucky.
We live in a secular, liberal society; although there is a constant tension between socially liberal and conservative elements in the United States, so far the balance struck has been decidedly liberal in comparison with the Muslim world. Imagine a country where the penalty for stealing is removal of a hand, where women are denied freedom of expression, dress and movement. Be thankful we don't live anywhere near countries as religiously conservative as those.
It's been estimated that over 75 percent of the world's population doesn't have phone service. How many of us have a telephone in our dorm rooms and carry cell phones to boot? We take luxuries like this for granted, but even the things which we take for granted set us apart from second- and third-world nations.
When we graduate from university, most of us will go on to make a decent living. The per-capita GDP of the United States is over $40,000; the median income is about $33,000. While we might complain about not having as much as the rich or complain about the gap between rich and poor - all the economic growth of the past twenty years has taken place in the richest 20 percent of households - the South American country of Guyana has a per-capita GDP of just $4,500 - and it's typical of non-first-world countries. We are incredibly lucky to be making as much as we do in the first place.
How many of us have cars?
Most of the world's population will never own a car in their lives.
We consider dating, love and marriage a fundamental right; however, throughout the history of the human race, women have been treated as real estate, and marriage has been arranged, not out of love. We ought to consider ourselves lucky just for that.
Can you read?
While I often complain about the sub-literate reading comprehension of the average American, I have to concede that the United States is incredibly lucky to have a literate society at all - nearly two-thirds of the world's people can't read. Instead of an oral tradition, our culture is lucky enough to be text-based; how much of the information you absorb is from read media, like the Internet or newspapers?
The United States is the wealthiest nation in the world. We don't often like to think about it, but we are: We have some 5 percent of the world's population, and we control a whole third of its resources.
Being born here is like winning the lottery: You're guaranteed opulent riches far beyond the dreams of any person living in the Third World.
While America doesn't have a public health system like the rest of the civilized world, we are much, much healthier than the Third World. AIDS has ravaged Africa so that the average life expectancy south of the Sahara is only twenty five years. We can expect to live to about eighty years.
Now, this isn't to say that our civilization is perfect, and this isn't to say that we ought to stop squabbling over politics. Far be it from me to advocate stopping debate and not pursuing the truth.
It is good, however, to step back from time to time and assess just how lucky we are to even be able to question the political process, to enjoy the obscene riches we possess.
So this Thursday, when you're stuffing yourself with more food than most people will see in a year, take a moment to sit back, reflect on how lucky you are, and be grateful for it.
Write to Neal at necoleman@bsu.edu.
Read More
Three Air Jam teams take home the win
October 12, 2012Nineteen teams shimmied, shook and flipped for a sold out John R. Emens Auditorium on Thursday night during the 25th annual Air Jam.
Bill Clinton Speaks at North Central High School
October 12, 2012Former President's Speech Could Have Effect on State Senate Race
