What is America?

America represents many different things to many different people. To me, America is a symbol of freedom. People are free to pursue their dreams, and not only that, but they are also given a formula to make those dreams a reality. There is a lot of structure in our country that allows for this. If you wish to become an engineer or a doctor, all the knowledge you need is out there for you to obtain. There are even apprenticeships available for many careers that do not require college. The only thing that determines success is yourself, and therefore anyone can be successful in America. This cannot be said for many other parts of the world.

I am not saying that America is the perfect place, there are all kinds of things wrong with it. The beauty of America is that the people have the power to change things that are not working. This is the reason that I believe America is the greatest country in the world. Opportunities are limitless in America for those who work hard enough. America gives us all these freedoms and opportunities, and all it asks is that we make sure it continues to provide us with them. Being an American citizen is performing your duties, whatever they may be.

I am very patriotic if you have not already figured that out. The introduction of Rereading America described different "myths" or presumptions about America, and asks us to analyze and think critically about them. Doing this might be a little hard for me, because of my belief system already in place. It seems that the book is going to encourage us to think critically by challenging many opinions that we have. I think that after all is said and done, I will still believe the things that I already do. The book will, however, challenge those opinions, and will prove how strong they are, and it will show me what I truly believe