<strong><em>"This is my song, O God of all the nations, A song of peace, for lands afar and mine. This is my home, the country where my heart is, here are my hopes, my dreams, my holy shrine. But other hearts in other lands are beating with hopes and dreams as true and high as mine."
</em>-- FINLANDIA</strong>

The wonderful British comedian Eddie Izzard was talking to a New York audience about guns and Northern Ireland when he paused and looked out at the audience.

<em>

[caption id="attachment_1275" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Eddie Izzard"]<em><a href="http://mikerappaport.net/onevoice/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/eddie-izzard-7.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1275" title="eddie-izzard-7" src="http://mikerappaport.net/onevoice/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/eddie-izzard-7-300x265.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="265" /></a></em>[/caption]

"Do you know there are other countries?"</em>

The audience exploded into laughter, but Izzard certainly had a good point.

There are too many people in our country ready to claim American exceptionalism above and beyond all other countries when they have never traveled outside the United States.

But even if we still are the shining city on a hill, we have reached a point in the world where we aren't the only one. There are numerous other countries, particularly in Europe and the British Commonwealth, where folks are every bit as free as we are to pursue happiness.

But rather than go on a rant about what's wrong, or enumerating what's right, I would rather ask a question.

What does America mean to you?

Since I get very few comments on this site that don't come from my two wonderful children, I will post this on Facebook and try for some answers.

What is America to you?

Land of opportunity or economic oligarchy?

Defender of freedom around the world or global imperialist?

True to its own ideals or slipping into a society of individuals who look out first for themselves?

Do we know there are other countries?

Some of us do.

I have traveled outside North America eight times in my life, nine if you count Hawaii (outside North America but still in the U.S.). I have been to Europe six times, including living there for 21 months in the '70s. I have been to the Peoples Republic of China and to French Polynesia.

[caption id="attachment_1276" align="alignright" width="300" caption="American ideals"]<a href="http://mikerappaport.net/onevoice/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/american-flag-with-liberty-statue.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1276" title="american-flag-with-liberty-statue" src="http://mikerappaport.net/onevoice/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/american-flag-with-liberty-statue-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" /></a>[/caption]

I'll be honest. I love my country for what it was and what it professes to be, but I don't have much use for the direction we have taken since the days of Ronald Reagan. I'm not going to get specific.

Mostly, I want to know what

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

<strong><em>
</em></strong>