Is the US an exceptional country?

Is the US an exceptional country?

"Welcome students," shouted a chubby, petite man over a group of restless teenagers, "to the Statue of Liberty!"

The crumbling relic was a faded mint color, closer to white than its original copper, looking quite unlike the resonating green photographs in their textbooks. Granted, their textbooks were from 2153, so the pictures were a little outdated.

"Now class, who can tell me what this statue represents?"

A lanky, blond, freckled boy with glasses raised his hand, "Immigrants to the Old Republic would see the statue as they traveled in on boats..."

The teens stifled giggles. The word "boat" seemed so foreign to their ears, like when their grandparents called their friends "cool" or "awesome."

"... and when they reached the port, they saw a statue of a woman representing liberty and freedom welcoming them to the United Statehoods."

"Jeffery Higgins-Song, we just had an assessment on the names of the Old Republics! Statehoods? Really?" The professor removed his glasses, massaging the bridge of his nose between his pointer finger and thumb, "I expect better of an honors Republic History Class." He expectantly raised his eyebrows at the scruffy boy, disappointed.

"Sorry Mr. Tan, I meant 'States'. The first thing they saw as they approached the United States was the Statue of Liberty representing the freedom they emigrated to receive."

"Excellent. Now what did we learn last week about the inevitable fall of the American Empire?" Unknowing faces started back into his.

"That the perfectionist ideal that so many sought to obtain eventually caused the culture and people to become materialistic and self-centered, leading to corruption in the government and eventually the collapse of their economy due to the poor leadership," recited a small redheaded girl in the back of the group.

"Thank you, Rose! Now class, who can tell me what made the United States of the Old Republics different than any other republic we've studied so far?" Edward Tan glanced up from his clipboard into the blank faces of the twenty-third century's youth.

"The American Dream!" chorused a few of the girls in the front.

"Right... what about it?"

"Unlike any other Republic in history, the United States of America had a sort of beacon of hope to it, that any and all of its citizens may aspire to and succeed in life despite their upbringings," a lanky girl offered.

"And that's exactly what made the United States of America great!" The professor's enthusiasm shone through his excited eyes. "Nowhere before had such a great melting-pot of cultures, ideas and people had ever been created! You all will learn about the eventual fall of the Empire, as every Empire must, but I'm here to tell you that there was something special about this specific one. The United States of America was the first of its kind, a haven for those ousted by their homes, a land of opportunity and rearranging of class divisions. The United States had done something no Republic had done before, create a new government based solely on the people and compensating for human error and nature."

"But Mr. Tan," piped up Jeffery Higgins-Song, "Wasn't the downfall of the United States just that?"

"Ironically, yes. However, the original founders built a Constitution that lasted for over four centuries without drastic change! That original Mayflower Compact, the sheer basis for every Democratic document to come for centuries afterwards, had never been conceived before in history. That, kids, is what makes America great."

The professor sighed in awe at the deteriorating icon, and placed his glasses back on his nose. He knew that the statue could not be left out in the open for much longer, and would soon be relocated to a Historical Preservation locker, but he felt that the kids deserved to see this relic of hope and inspiration before it was carted away. Yes, the Old Republics might no longer be in existence, but they were the inspiration for the proceedings of government for centuries to come. Those small time farmers, centuries ago, had no idea of their impact on the entire world to come.

Is America Exceptional?: A Look into the Lives of Immigrants

What America Has to Offer

When an average American student is asked about his/her thoughts on school and education in the States, the response is usually “eh, it’s okay,” “I wish we could choose our own classes,” or “there is not enough freedom.” But among the native American students who were given the privilege of receiving an American education from birth, there are international students, students whose families immigrated to the United States, envisioning the same dreams as the ones who sailed the Atlantic two hundred years ago and saw the Statue of Liberty calling out the hopes of freedom and success.

           So why is there a massive influx of immigrants, predominantly students, to the United States of America? Could this contradiction between the American student’s answer and the hopes of international students be a difference between dream and reality?

           Most people come to the United States for education and, simply, for a better life. At the expense of becoming the minority of a foreign country and taking on low-income jobs, people from all over the world make sacrifices in order to start a new life in America. Students are often separated from their families to join other students in costly boarding schools, and for families that cannot afford the extravagant education for their children, the entire family makes a bold decision to move and start anew.

           The great immigration wave is entrenched in the idea that America is different. It is different in what it can offer, whether that is education, business, or pursuit of the arts. Interestingly, many prestigious schools are filled with Chinese, Indian, and Korean students, alongside American students. Professional jobs based on education and expertise are comparatively more respected in the U.S. than those in the home countries of the immigrants. That is the American dream: the land of America promises a bright future, better jobs, interactions with intellectuals on a global-scale, and readily available education system and facilities.

           However, is the supposed American dream true?

            In some ways, yes. Compared to other European and Asian countries, America is more open in general. Jeong Hang-Hwa, mother of two kids, immigrated to the United States in 2004. She had moved mainly for the education, but also for her son who is diagnosed with ADHD.  “I admired the American education system,” she said firmly, “which was unlike the competition-oriented system in Korea that put too much stress on me and my kids. As for my son, teachers in Korea always used to scold him for his impulsive behavior. But when I came to America, his teacher and counselors created a special committee solely focused on creating a new system of learning for students like my son. I was deeply moved.” In another case, Korean Congresswoman, Mrs. Na, sent her son diagnosed with cerebral palsy to the States. In Korea, she realized her handicapped son was a victim to humiliation and discrimination, so she sent her son where she knew he would be looked upon as different, but not inferior. In America, she knew his son could live in a more welcoming environment.

Mr. Ahn (52), was attracted to a different aspect of America—its values and emphasis on pursuit of happiness. Mr. Ahn was a professor at an engineering school in his home country who eventually abandoned his comfortable life to start a small business in the States. He was disappointed in the way financial success in Asia was only guaranteed to those who worked in the big industries, such as Samsung and LG. He had a desire to pursue a life in America where creativity was valued.

           Yet the American dream does not guarantee success for everybody. Highly educated or people from the upper/middle-class might have a greater shot at the fulfillment of their dreams, but for the lower class, success does not come free. Unemployment and adults working 3-D jobs (dirty, dangerous, demeaning) is often the scenario for the lower class immigrant families. In reality, America’s promises could just be a on the other side of a glass window for some people, visible but unattainable.

How have American writers encouraged the idea of American exceptionalism?

The sermon that John Winthrop delivered to his fellow Puritans, promoting their God-given destiny to be exceptional, brought about the concept of American exceptionalism: the belief that the United States exists on a pedestal above other nations and therefore must spread its ideals to them. Winthrop also inspired writers such as Ralph Waldo Emerson and Walt Whitman to endorse the idea of the American scholar and perpetuate America’s self-proclaimed exceptionalism.

Emerson encouraged American exceptionalism by redefining the idea of the American scholar. He believed that America had to stop copying Europe and achieve greatness through its own exploits. He wrote, “A nation of men will for the first time exist, because each believes himself inspired by the Divine Soul which also inspires all men.” This phrase mirrors the concept of God-given destiny that Winthrop introduced. Emerson also put great responsibility on the American scholar as the world’s eye and the world’s heart; he believed that a scholar had to lead common men by revealing the hidden truths that exist beyond first impressions. The scholar also had to resist the everyday drama of ordinary people and be aware of the world while not letting its wavering status affect him and his thoughts. Therefore, “it becomes [the American scholar] to feel all confidence in himself... he and he only knows the world.” This arrogant attitude encouraged Americans to feel superior to others and perpetuated American exceptionalism.

Walt Whitman, an American poet, was in turn inspired by Emerson and assumed Emerson’s challenge of redefining the American scholar. He sung praises of America and its excellence and then proclaimed himself to be the first of many great American scholars. However, his approach to the identity of the American scholar was quite different from that of Emerson. Though he believed himself to be an amazing example of an American, he also believed in the power of the common people: “Other states indicate themselves in their deputies... but the genius of the United States is not best or most in its executives or legislatures, nor in its ambassadors or authors or colleges or churches or parlors, nor even in its newspapers or inventors... but always most in the common people.” He continued to list the fantastic qualities that all Americans have: “...their self-esteem and wonderful sympathy... the air they have of persons who never knew how it felt to stand in the presence of superiors...” Whitman seemed to believe that common people are exceptional and because of this, all Americans could become exceptional. In addition, Whitman did not limit American exceptionalism to America alone. “The Americans of all nations at any time upon the Earth have probably the fullest poetical nature.” His definition of an American was any person who had adopted the American ideals of liberty and democracy. As a result, Whitman is saying that anyone can be an American - even if they are a common person not residing in America - which encouraged Americans to spread their ideals to people outside of the United States.

Ralph Waldo Emerson and Walt Whitman, two American writers from the 1800’s, encouraged American exceptionalism by expressing the importance of the American scholar. Emerson described the qualities that an American scholar should have and emphasized the importance of America developing its own ideas, which inspired Whitman to become the first great American scholar. Together, they assisted the expansion of American ideas around the world and within America, inspiring others to do the same to this day.

What about all of the oppressed minorities in the US? How do these minorities bear on the notion of American exceptionalism?

Marquis waited in eager anticipation for the director to read the cast list. The director stood in the middle of the dimly lit stage, surrounded by a circle of a hundred or so aspiring actors. Much to Marquis’s annoyance, the director started with the never-ending list of smaller roles. Name after name rolled off his tongue. Each name was accompanied with a shriek of delight and a hug for the director. Eventually the list came to an end, and the director began to read the assignments for the main roles. At this point, there were about ten actors left on the stage. Only five actors would receive a main role. Those who did not get called were effectively cut from the production.

Marquis surveyed the remaining actors. They were huddled in a loose circle around the director. Some of the actors were fidgeting nervously; others listened intently at each prophetic word that came out of the director’s mouth. Keith stood slightly removed from the group, running a few fingers through his silky gold hair, seemingly bored by the whole casting ordeal. For a second, Keith’s electric blue eyes met Marquis’s and a mutual feeling of resentment passed between them. Throughout the auditions an enmity had developed between the two.

Keith was NOT a good actor. He couldn’t memorize lines and he certainly couldn’t deliver them with proper emotion. To make up for his lack of skill, Keith tossed his golden mane back and forth, flashed a charming smile or two, and pouted his beautiful blue eyes. With thick black curls, dull brown eyes, and mahogany-colored skin, Marquis couldn’t simply rely on charm to act. Instead Marquis acted with a professional charisma, unmatched by any other actor at the audition. Time after time, fellow actors would express their amazement at his talent. Even the director would praise Marquis’s performances.

Yet, during auditions, Marquis was always cast as the secondary role, while Keith took the lead. Now that the final cuts were being made, Marquis did not expect anything different. The director read out the assignments, and inevitably, Keith was designated as the lead. Marquis waited for his own name to be called as the supporting role, but was shocked when the director announced that the list had come to end. Marquis stood completely still, arms limp at his sides. His name had not been called at all. Marquis looked at the director for an explanation, but the director was busy talking to somebody else. The lights of the stage glared in Marquis’s eyes, blurring his vision; the temperature in the theatre rose a couple of degrees. Marquis felt a hand on his shoulder. Turning around, he looked into the mocking eyes of Keith.

“Congratulations” said Keith.

Marquis’s hands started to tremble as anger welled in his chest. Without thinking, Marquis swung one fist at Keith’s smug face. The impact left Keith clutching his face on the ground. Everybody in the theatre stopped, shifting their attention to Marquis.

Marquis didn’t care, he kept walking. He walked straight out of the theatre exit, into the city streets. He was going home, away from these sickening people. Behind him the director pleaded “Marquis come back, you don’t understand. Let me explain...”. Marquis didn’t take heed; the words were meaningless echoes in his head.

Outside, it was a cold autumn afternoon. The sky was covered by a thin coating of grey clouds. Behind the clouds, the sun shone lightly. Occasionally, a breeze would whistle through the air, piercing through Marquis’s skimpy sweatshirt. Marquis did not notice, he continued to walk towards his house, thinking about the recent events. It was because he was black. He was the only black actor in the entire production. Of course they wanted to cut him. As he walked, the quality of the neighborhoods continued to worsen. The luxurious, modern storefronts of the city were replaced with ramshackle convenient stores, squeezed together in a crowded mess. On the street corner, a circle of hooded black teenagers huddled around something. One teenager broke off from the group, and approached Marquis. The kid’s cocaine-lit eyes peered into Marquis’s face. With his hands, the kid motioned to a small bag of white powder in his inner coat pocket. Marquis looked at him and thought, is this what was left for a black kid? Disgusted, Marquis shoved the kid aside and continued walking.

Eventually Marquis reached his house: a small, dirty-white ranch. Marquis fumbled with the lock, before opening the door. When he entered, his mom was sitting in the cramped living room, tears pouring down her face. Marquis’s heart sped up rapidly.

“What’s wrong Ma” sputtered Marquis.

His mom pointed to a letter lying on the tea table. “It’s from your director”

Apprehensively, Marquis picked up the letter. In bold lettering, the heading read “Congratulations on Your Acceptance to New York University Tisch School of Arts”. Marquis’s heart fluttered as he continued to read. Not only did he get accepted into one of the most prestigious performing art programs in the United States, Marquis got a full scholarship because of his financial circumstances.

A couple hours ago, Marquis’s entire life was going downhill. Acting was the only thing Marquis really had in life. It was the only thing he had pursued with honest dedication. When Marquis was cut from the play, it appeared as if the white man had taken acting from him too. 

America had always been touted as an exceptional country that upheld the dreamer and the hard-worker. As Marquis's mother put it, “The good guys always win here”. When Obama was elected President, Marquis believed in that idea. When Trayvon Martin was killed, Marquis questioned it.

A couple hours ago, Marquis had definite questions about American exceptionalism. Though with one simple letter, Marquis’s faith was strongly reaffirmed in the exceptional America and the beautiful dream it offered.

How do oppressed minorities bear on the question of American exceptionalism?

A Critique of American Exceptionalism in Contemporary Orientalist Studies and International Relations

            Americans tend to revolve around the idea that their nation is superior to everyone else. The general notion of American expectionalism has become embedded in our culture and attitude regarding the rest of the world. We see our way of life as the only plausible one; other countries that don’t follow our model of government or have cultural differences are viewed as inferior. If they don’t conform, like the many nations that show resentment or opposition to American world order, then they are met with animosity. This is specifically true in the context of the America’s representation of the Arab world. In the book, “Orientalism”, Edward Said, a Christian-Palestinian American, explicates the underlying assumptions the western world has towards the Middle East. At a very fundamental level, “Orientalism” is a critique of western epistemology. But Orientalism the way Said identifies it can be attributed to America’s exceptionalist attitude it chooses to take regarding the Middle East and the rest of the world. It goes on to explain how we view the Arab world as barbaric, inferiors, and are constantly attempting to take interventionist policies in the region to conform them to the United Studies supposed utopian government system of free-market capitalism and democracy. Intellectuals must problematize America’s orientalist outlook towards the Arab world shaped by exceptionalist justifications, and understand that exceptionalism oppresses the minority voice of the international community.

            To strive to be the best nation possible and become that “city on the hill” that Winthrop speaks of is not inherently wrong; it’s the idea that we have the need to impose our ideals upon other nations simply because we are exceptional. There is “a profound difference between the will to understand for purposes of coexistence… and the will to dominate” (Said xix). America has the idea that our model of government is right, and anyone else who has another system is outright wrong and must be reformed; this unfortunately shapes the black-and-white dichotomy of American politics, creating “ polarizations like ‘Islam v. the West’” (Said xxiii). For example, nations such as the United Kingdom or Israel fit our mold for a westernized society so they are viewed as our allies, or the “good guys”. Nations like Iran who oppose American world order and have a very different regime as well as way of life that westerners don’t quite understand are considered our “enemies”. American exceptionalism simply means we cannot accept difference. Our leaders feel as if the ideals of America must be imposed upon every nation, as if we have found the ideal model. The book “The End of History and the Last Man” by Francis Fukuyama is an example of this type of rhetoric; Fukuyama depicts American’s Western liberal democracy as the endpoint of humanity’s search for the ideal government. He cites the same principles of westernized democratic promotion politicians use today. The United States fails to understand “notions as modernity, enlightenment, and democracy are by no means simple and agreed-upon concepts” (Said xix). Governments who choose any alternate system are considered “backward”, a result of the United States not tolerating any regime outside their "exceptional" model. 

            America’s attempts to reform other nations and cultures to fit their “exceptional” mold often times result in atrocities of horrendous proportions that go ignored simply because of our orientalist outlook. Policymakers attempt to “impose [their] own forms of life for these lesser people to follow” (Said xviii). This results in “massive and calculatedly aggressive… attack on the contemporary societies of the Arab and Muslim for their backwardness” (Said xix). Empiricism of America’s interventionist policies in the Middle East make this very evident; Iraq was a war claimed to spread “freedom and democracy” for the Orient, and a similar justification is used for our actions regarding Afghanistan. Said indicates that “Orientalists who betrayed their calling as scholars… helped the American [war] hawks think about such preposterous phenomena… as Islamic decline that only American power could reverse” (Said xx) These wars are a product of American exceptionalism, and lead to the mass death of thousands through horrors such as drone strikes on civilians, simply because we are incapable of tolerating difference. Humanitarian violations in institutions such as Guantanamo Bay go unquestioned by the political elite.  How far should America go in its attempt to reform the rest of the world to its westernized way of life? It is by no means ethical to say that peoples of different cultural backgrounds like Arabs are disposable simply because “people over there [are] not like ‘us’ and [don't] appreciate ‘our’ values” (Said xx).

            American exceptionalism results in Said’s notion of Orientalism, a justification to view the Arab world, as well as any nation that has reformed to the ways of the Occident or the west, as inferiors. Without “orientalist dogma… there would have been no war” (xx), especially in the context of theaters of conflict like the war in Afghanistan and Iraq. Just like the way Hawthorne depicts the Puritans as intolerable bullies in his novel the “Scarlet Letter”, America is now a power-hungry nation bent on reforming the rest of the world to its way of life simply because it views itself as exceptional. Militaristic policies will continue to plague the minorities of the international community as long as they don’t fit into America’s “exceptional” utopia. 

A Take on American Exceptionalism: The Story of a Japanese-American Sailor During WWII

Question: What about all of the oppressed minorities in the US? How do these minorities bear on the notion of American exceptionalism? 

Note: This is a work of Historical Fiction – the following story’s fictional events are based upon real occurrences in history.

A Different Battle

December 8, 1941

I will never forget yesterday. It was a cool, crisp winter day; the sun was shining and the water was calm over San Francisco bay. Turns out, yesterday will be a “date which will live in infamy.” December 7, 1941; the date that the Empire of Japan attacked Pearl Harbor.  Today congress declared war on Japan. My two home countries are now officially at war.

***

May 3, 1942

Today a green military vehicle drove up to my family’s home. The uniformed officer informed my dad that the entire family has been ordered to a Japanese-American internment camp in Manzanar, California. We packed all of our things and filed onto a bus. The bus was full of Japanese-Americans like me. Our good friends the Satos were on the bus as well; the military had rounded up all of the Japanese-Americans in the San Francisco area. I don’t know what to expect… will we be forced to work? Will my family be separated? Is it like prison?

***

April 15, 1945 – 7:00 A.M. – 30 miles north of Okinawa – Radar-Picket Station #1

As I looked at my journal that I kept before joining the navy, I reflected upon the last three years of my life…

My name is Alexander Johnson Iwashita, or AJ. I am a lieutenant serving on the destroyer USS Laffey as a gunnery-control officer for a 40mm gun mount. One would think that it would be an honor to serve for one’s country. However, my first battle in World War II was far from the battlefield…

***

January 8, 1943 – Alameda Navy Base – California

“Hey Jap! Why don’t you go join the others and die for the honor of the emperor?”

“Yeah, don’t you want to bring honor to the empire?”

I looked up from my strategy textbook and saw two burly boys walking toward me. I said, “You got a problem with me?”

They snickered. The taller one spoke, “Listen here Jap, you don’t belong here. The reason we’re in this war is because of you and your peop–” 

I shoved him against a wall and snarled, “No YOU listen. I enlisted in the navy from my internment camp to serve my country. Yes, I’m Japanese-American. But you missed one part, the second part. I’m still American and I’m choosing to serve MY country; the country that I call home.”

The other boy spoke up, “Whoa easy does it buddy, we were only kidding! Look my name’s Al Sullivan and my brother’s is Bill. I’m sure we can calm down – let me buy you a coke and let’s talk…”

***

April 15, 1945 – 7:15 A.M. – 30 miles north of Okinawa – Radar-Picket Station #1

I chuckled to myself as I replayed the story. Those two recruits would eventually become my best friends. I gained their trust through training by continually meeting their expectations and demonstrating my apt abilities. 

We shipped off to Pearl Harbor after completing training. At Pearl, we met the ship we would come to call home – the destroyer USS Laffey. For two years we fought as a band of brothers through the Pacific. We escorted the carrier fleet during the “Great Marianas Turkey Shoot” and protected the landing forces in the Philippines at Leyte Gulf. We braved harsh seas, submarine threats, and Japanese bombs. I was promoted to Lieutenant in lieu of my commanding officer’s strong recommendation. He convinced his superiors that I was a dedicated sailor and should be allowed a promotion for fulfilling my duty to my greatest ability even though I was Japanese-American. 

Today we’re on radar-picket duty north of Okinawa. The Laffey is monitoring for incoming Japanese aircraft at station #1, the closest to Japan. 

At 7:44 A.M. general quarters was sounded.

“ALL MEN BATTLESTATIONS!!!”

Men raced up and down stairwells to get to their stations. Guns were locked and loaded. I raced to my gunnery platform on the port side of the ship. Bill was commanding a 20mm mount near me.

 “JUDY INCOMING, 3 O’CLOCK HIGH!” screamed one of my men.

I gave the command, “FIRE!” Bursts of shells started peppering the sky trying to shoot down the kamikaze. 

Another screamed, “THERE’S MORE!! 2 AND 11 O’CLOCK!!! THEY’RE EVERYWHERE!!!” 

The Laffey was maneuvering hard, but it was all too much. At 8:30, the first kamikaze struck the 20mm mount that Bill was manning. A huge fireball enveloped the mount, severely wounding the men inside. I rushed over and dragged Bill out of the carnage.

“BILL, STAY WITH ME BUD!! BILL, IT’S GOING TO BE ALRIGHT!!” I pleaded with him. 

He grabbed my shirt and breathed, “AJ, I…I want you to know that I’m sorry that I had misjudged you at first…I…I think you are a brave, honorable sailor. Get them for me. Prove to the rest of the world that you are American…” 

“I will…” I replied. Bill smiled and slowly collapsed in my arms. I dragged him to the infirmary to be treated, but to no avail – he was dead.

***

5 more kamikazes and 4 bombs hit the Laffey that day. Through sheer luck and apt damage control, USS Laffey stayed afloat. We lost 32 men and had 71 more wounded. I had manned my gun mount throughout the battle and shot down 5 planes. I earned the trust of my fellow sailors that day by continuing to fight in the face of the enemy. From that day on no sailor ever challenged my allegiance. 

I continued to serve on the Laffey for the rest of the war. I returned to a changed America, one that welcomed back its heroes – all of its heroes. I tell people I meet that I joined the Navy because I believe America is special. We should all protect it, regardless of race. 

America is my home and America is my country. We are all American. I am American.

Is US Exceptional: A Narrative

Journal of Moldova

September 1^st 20XX

Dear Diary,

This is the last entry before the new school year! I’m so excited to finally be a fifth grader, a member of the ruling class in World elementary school.

September 2^nd 20XX

Dear Diary,

The first day of school was great! Class is always boring as usual, my new teacher seems to be fun, and we finally get to play on the jungle gym instead of napping or waiting for a turn on the swing. Today, the fifth graders went to the jungle gym as a group and we sat there, making sure the younger kids understood that it was our area, as it was for the previous year’s fifth graders. I bet we will have so much fun!

September 23^rd 20XX

Dear Diary,

Class has started to get routine, every day is almost the exact same thing. All day in class, my mind wanders to what I will do in recess. By now, the younger kids have stopped wandering near the jungle gym and we all have fun. However, something weird happened today. Everyone in our year had bonded and knew each other, all 195 of us. Of all of those people, no one had ever at any point said that they were better than the rest of us, until US shouted it out today. I told you about Ulysses Sam right? He is a rather big guy, maybe a little lacking upstairs, but he seemed rather nice until today. We call him US because Ulysses Sam is way too long of a name. Anyway today, US suddenly climbed up to the highest point in the jungle gym and sat there. Whenever someone tried to also get to the highest point, US just pushed him or her off! At the end of recess, he shouted out to everyone that he was the ruler of World and that we should listen to what he says. Hah! Like that is ever going to happen! Well, I’m very tired.

September 24^th 20XX

Dear Diary,

That US kid has become a little mean. He said that he would not bother the rest of us, but he called out Chin and Russy, the A brothers. They’re brothers that are new to the school, and their names are Chin A and Russy A. Anyway, they are both pretty big people, but they are really nice about everything. Out of nowhere, US called Chin and Russy out to behind the dumpster, where no one could see them. We don’t know what happened, but when they all walked back out, they looked like they had fought. US was bleeding a little from the lips and both Chin and Russy were holding their sides. However, US was grinning, so I assume that he won. I hope this doesn’t mean US starts to think he is better than all of us.

October 9^th 20XX

Dear Diary,

In school, US has become the bully of World elementary. He tells us how to play on the jungle gym, and whenever some of us start to get into an argument, he always thinks he is involved and acts like a judge! Today, I got into an argument with my friend, Grhyce, about who won the race around the jungle gym. Suddenly, US appears out of nowhere and claims that Grhyce had won, telling me to back off. Is he trying to police all of us? Because of this, people around the jungle gym have started to whisper behind his back, saying that he is really dumb, and only a big bully. I hope he goes away soon; it isn't fun playing on the jungle gym with him on top of it.

November 10^th 20XX

Dear Diary,

Sorry I haven’t written in a long time, I've been busy with tennis. Everything now is routine, US tells us what to do and we follow what he says, even if we don’t like it, because he is pretty scary after beating up Chin and Russy. I really hope he disappears.

December 17^th 20XX

Dear Diary,

YAY! God has listened to me! Today US didn’t show up, and the teacher said that he will be gone! Today it was all happy in the jungle gym, and everyone was playing however they wanted. Grhyce and I made a snowman, and no one was there to tell us how to do it! Life is great.

December 20^th 20XX

Dear Diary,

Everyone is still really happy US is gone, but today Chin and Russy started to tell people what to do, just like US did! And worse, people have started to join sides, either supporting Chin or Russy. I don’t have a good feeling about this.

January 4^th 20XX

Dear Diary,

Today was so exciting! The second day back from December break, Chin and Russy got into an argument over who was taller, and they each called all of their friends to their side, and it was getting really loud with everyone shouting at each other. I was pretty sure everyone was going to fight, and I was scared. But suddenly, we hear US’s voice from the top of the jungle gym, telling us all to be quiet! Apparently he went on vacation early and just got back. Anyway everyone calmed down after that, and Chin and Russy grumbled about it, but they walked away. I told Mom about it at dinner, and she explained that even though no one might like US, even though he might be dumber than us, even though he can be mean, he is important to keeping peace in World elementary. I didn’t understand what she was saying, but I guess I like having US around because no one else can do the job of bullying everyone to make sure people don't start fighting.

Is the U.S. an exceptional country?

Sharon Ettinger

            “Do you guys really go to school in big yellow busses?”

            In broken English, my sister’s friend Sara asked us an apparently commonly pondered question from her home in Barcelona. She brushed a strand of hair from her cheek as the brisk New England winter air whistled past, and the distant rumbling of a bus momentarily grasped her attention that was so intensely focused on the other side of her thick camera lens. She could not be any more ostentatious—wandering the casual streets of Lexington center, her colorful pants flowed in the wind as she captured photographs of the simplest details with her huge black camera, catching every passerby’s curious eye. Sara took no notice to this attention, as she was rapt in the wonders of the stores and benches and sidewalks. Her amazement of such simplicity in our culture was remarkable.

Before her visit here, Sara had studied in several other countries beforehand including Spain, Denmark, and Ireland, but something she never ceased to glorify during her visit here was the outstanding education. Upon asking her about her past experiences studying abroad, she let out a shy laugh and stated simply, “It is all better here.” Watching her sit at our kitchen table with her nose inches from her work, I came to realize that students from all over the world are constantly grasping opportunities to study in America.

“Would you like to stay for dinner?”

Sara freed herself from her tangle of work to meet my mom’s gaze. A simple question, yet Sara’s eyes were bright as she graciously accepted. I couldn’t help but to notice throughout our routinely family dinner the state of awe she was in. Pass the salad? She jumped to pass it; a smile laced with nervousness and suppressed joy tempting her lips.

As I later learned, this evident exhilaration was a result of her finally living the long aspired “American dream”. She had finally started living it, triggered by that simple family dinner that contrasted so drastically with her uneasy relationship with each member of her family, who she no longer lived with. The family, the jobs, the schools, and the smiles—all came together to be the American dream of which Sara would whisper her envy to my sister before her stay here.

A few months passed after Sara’s stay, after which she moved into an apartment in New York, but our hosting wasn’t over—this time it was Jen, a family friend from England whose plan to visit was a pleasant surprise. But the excitement of her visit was lined with negative connotations: a long suffering patient of lime disease, she had to quickly make arrangements to come to the United States when her doctors turned to American medics after struggling with her particularly severe case.

The airport was its same restless self as we sat impatiently on a particularly hard bench just outside of Jen’s gate. Disheveled passengers with bloodshot eyes and wrinkled clothes began to slowly trickle off the plane. We sat craning our necks over the crowd of groggy passengers until it seemed the very last one had exited, and then emerging slowly through the gate door was Jen, escorted in a wheelchair by a flight attendant. It was such an odd sight—her hands were folded neatly as she rolled towards us in the chair but the precious freshness in her twenty-year-old face screamed that she should be taking advantage of her youth instead of dealing with the toll lime disease had taken on her weak body. Still she smiled, tired as she was, for now that she was finally in America the thought that this might just be where her life goes back to normal officially set in.

She stayed for a few months, and by the end of it every high-class doctor we could think of was mulling over her case that had stumped so many doctors back in England. Her hopes were high—doctors in the United States never fail, right?

This is another example of America’s incredible reputation. Both Sara’s and Jen’s situations are just one out of thousands of examples where people around the world focus on America’s greatness, dreaming to someday travel here to experience the life they’ve been admiring or to improve their lives off of things like education or health care. The United States is an exceptional country, because it has achieved such distinctiveness in its balance among all of the significant aspects of a strong and successful nation that other countries do indeed admire at even the slightest details.

How have other countries impacted America/ Is America exceptional?

Kasey Lakin    How have other countries impacted America/ Is America exceptional?       

America is often called the "melting pot" because of diversity of all sorts. This aspect of America is what sets it above the rest of the world. America is correctly considered exceptional because it is made up of bits and pieces of other countries. As a fairly new country, America was able to learn from the mistakes of existing cultures while taking the positives and adopting them as their own ways. Socially and in terms of government, America is made up of the best qualities. 

From the start of its history, America has been using parts of foreign governments to build their own. When America was separating from England to become an independent country, the founding fathers picked and choosed what they liked from the English and from other cultures ways. They learned from their mistreatment as an English colony that heavily taxing citizens while giving them little representation does not work. America knew they did not want to be a monarchy, like England was, because they wanted more voice for the people, rather than have the King make all the decisions. Thus they looked outwardly to the government styles of Ancient Greece and Rome, who had been successful many years earlier as a direct democracy and a republic. America decided to take elements of each form and become a representative democracy, a form of government where elected leaders represent a group of common people. Despite this bitterness of England, America still admired their government in some ways. The U.S Constitution, written in 1787, is influenced partially by English documents: The Magna Carta (1215) that limits absolute power of the monarch, The Petition of Right (1628) which gives commoners a sort of voice, and the English Bill of Rights (1688) which extends the rights of the citizen. All these documents are contributors to the American basis, and provide government ideas that are still prevalent today. These aspects of government have withheld through time and have helped America succeed. Learning from other countries failures and accomplishments has made the American government exceptional. 

The freedoms given to the citizens of America are one of the most exceptional qualities America holds. These ideas of religious intolerance and equality came from learning and building off other countries. America began with the Pilgrims, coming to the new world to escape the persecution they faced in England for their Puritan (or Protestant) rather than Catholic views. Since the Protestant Reformation in 1517, Christianity has continually divided into sectors due to different ideas and interpretations of the bible. With these new ideas came major disputes between the existing Roman Catholic Church and the new Protestants in European countries. In France from 1562 to 1598, there was so much fighting between the French Catholics and the Huguenots (Protestants) that the period was called the French Wars of Religion. In England, between the ruling of Henry VIII and the rulings of his children, Edward VI, Mary, and Elizabeth, what religion was accepted and which was persecuted went back and forth. This confusion ultimately led to the English Civil War from 1642 to 1651. Breaking off from the chaos in Europe and starting new was the idea behind coming to America, and it continued as America grew independent. Looking at past mistakes, the framers of the Constitution feared the turmoil caused by religious differences and decided that America would be a secular nation, where there would be separation of church and state. Along with being tolerated for their beliefs, Americans are also considered equal despite any differences. Most of America’s ideas of equality root from the Enlightenment thinkers of Europe. Englishmen John Locke believed in "Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness", words placed right into the Constitution. Jean Jacques Rousseau of France believed that all men are born free and deserve the same natural freedoms. These concepts were known well by Thomas Jefferson and George Washington, and helped them form America's principles in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. Still to this day, minorities come to America in search for the same freedom and equality that the Pilgrims sought out for. But today they come to a society ready to give them what they deserve.    

Competing against countries that have lasted for centuries is an advantage for America. Americans have used their knowledge of the past to take what works and exclude what makes countries fall apart. Mixing policies and ideas from across the world, the United States has formed an exceptional country.