Impeachment

What is impeachment, exactly?




According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, to impeach means...

the action of calling into question the integrity or validity of something.

"the prosecutor's detailed impeachment of the character witness"

• 
  

  BRITISH
  a charge of treason or another crime against the state.
  "the king cynically abandoned him, encouraging his impeachment"
• 
  

  US
  a charge of misconduct made against the holder of a public office.
  "the president is facing impeachment over the scandal" · "all impeachments shall be tried by the Senate"--

'Impeach' can also be considered the same as 'indict (prounounced in-Dite).' That means to accuse or charge someone of a serious crime.


Where in the Constitution does it address impeachment?
-Article 2, Section 2, Clause #5. "The President, Vice President, and all civil officers of the United States, shall be removed from office on impeachment for, and conviction of, treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors." https://www.heritage.org/constitution/#!/articles/2/essays/100/standards-for-impeachment
  
Impeachment is the process, not the result. Presidents have been impeached before, but none were removed from office:

• In the case of the first president to have impeachment attempted, John Tyler, the effort failed because in the midst of the process, the House changed majorities. https://potus-geeks.livejournal.com/315466.html
• Andrew Johnson (he was president after Abraham Lincoln) was impeached but was acquitted by one vote.
• Richard Nixon was in the process of being impeached, and resigned.
• Bill Clinton was impeached, and the effort failed. He was also re-elected for a 2nd term.
• Read why these people had impeachment proceedings against them: https://www.thoughtco.com/high-crimes-and-misdemeanors-definition-4140196

What are considered grounds for impeachment? What are 'high crimes and misdemeanors"?
According to constitutional lawyers, "High Crimes and Misdemeanors" are (1) real criminality—breaking a law; (2) abuses of power; (3) "violation of public trust" as defined by Alexander Hamilton in the Federalist Papers. In 1970, then-Representative Gerald R. Ford defined impeachable offenses as "whatever a majority of the House of Representatives considers it to be at a given moment in history."
Crimes considered to be impeachable offenses:

• Exceeding the constitutional bounds of the powers of the office.
• Behavior grossly incompatible with the proper function and purpose of the office.
• Employing the power of the office for an improper purpose or for personal gain.

Treason includes aiding our enemies. Perjury is lying.

What does 'quid pro quo' mean? When we hear news about a conversation between the president and that of another country, where our president asked the leader of another country to provide incriminating facts about a political opponent, we have often heard the term 'quid pro quo.' That's a term in Latin which means literally 'something for something', basically, you do me a favor and I'll do you one in return. In this case, the allegation is that funding to the other country was put on hold or withdrawn pending the leader's providing the information our president sought. In essence, the president was asking another government to tamper with our elections while withholding money until it happened. Here is what the law says about doing that:

Federal law prohibits a foreign national from directly or indirectly making a “contribution or donation of money or other thing of value” in connection with a U.S. election, and prohibits a person from soliciting, accepting or receiving such a contribution or donation from a foreign national. Federal law defines “contribution” to include “any gift … of money or anything of value made by any person for the purpose of influencing any election for Federal office.” And the FEC by regulation defines “solicit” to mean “to ask, request, or recommend, explicitly or implicitly, that another person make a contribution, donation, transfer of funds, or otherwise provide anything of value.”

What are the steps involved in impeachment? It begins in the House of Representatives.

• 1. The members of the House of Representatives raise the proposal that the president has acted in a way that demonstrates treason, bribery, or other "High crimes and misdemeanors(See above)." This phrase is thought to be deliberately vague and open to interpretation, to include many dishonest or illegal acts by a president.
• 2. The chairman of the House Judiciary Committee calls for a formal inquiry.
• 3. The members of the Committee look into the alleged crimes
• 4. After gathering and examining evidence of the crimes, the full House, all 435 members, debate and vote about whether the crimes are enough to possibly remove the president from office.
• 5. If the majority of the House votes in favor of impeachment, the articles are sent to the Senate. This is a 'simple majority,' or 218 votes.

When the articles of impeachment are sent to the Senate, this is what they do:

• 6. They receive the articles of impeachment from the House.
• 7. They determine the rules for the trial
• 8. They hold a trial
• 9. The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court presides over the trial.
• 10. They meet in private to determine a verdict
• 11. They then vote to remove the president from office or not.
• 12. If 2/3 of the Senate votes to remove the president (67 votes out of 100), then it becomes official. A simple majority is not enough in this case; 2/3 is required. That is referred to a s 'super-majority.'.

Here is the process in the form of a table:

How long does all of this take? Gathering evidence to support an impeachment can take many months, although the actual trial may not last more than 2 or 3 months. For Nixon, the investigation took a little over 2 years. In his case, he was charged with perjury, obstruction of justice, and of using the Internal Revenue Service and other government agencies illegally.  Articles of Impeachment against him were filed  in July 1974, and he resigned less than a month after that. With Clinton, who was charged with perjury and obstruction of justice, the process began in December 1998 and was completed, with a vote that did not find for removal, in February 1999.


If an impeachment results in removing the person from office, it still does not in itself provide for any type of criminal punishment such as fines or imprisonment. However, the person may be tried separately for crimes both on a state and federal level. An impeached person who is found guilty and removed, will not be able to run for public office from then on.

Here is an excellent explanation of how impeachment works: https://www.thoughtco.com/impeachment-the-unthinkable-process-3322171


And this specific situation: https://www.businessinsider.com/laws-trump-could-have-broken-ukraine-whistleblower-case-2019-9

DACA

People are talking about DACA and The Dreamers. What is DACA, anyway?
DACA stands for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which was started in 2012 by President Obama.


There is another program called DAPA, which is Deferred Action for Parents of Americans. This program keeps families together (so that they, and not only their children, are 'safe' in the U.S.) About 5 million people are part of this program. Most of them come from Mexico and Central America, and some from Asia.

People in this program...

• Entered the U.S. before June of 2007 and were 16 or younger at that time
• Can get a 2-year work permit or permit to go to college, and be exempt from deportation
• Can live, study, and work in the United States
• It does not give legal status to these people
• It does not give a path to citizenship for these people
• It must be renewed every two years
• There are close to 800,000 people in the U.S. who are part of DACA
• "Dreamers" have an acronym, too: Developmental Relief and Education for Alien Minors
• You may be able to receive a Social Security Number if you have a work permit
• You are not eligible for federal student aid but may still be eligible for some college aid, grants, or scholarships
• You may still fill out a FAFSA to see what aid you might be able to receive
• Some DACA recipients are currently in college or are nearly finished

Some more info: 
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/sep/04/donald-trump-what-is-daca-dreamers

What would happen if DACA was discontinued? New applications would not be accepted, and the program would phase out rather quickly. It's unclear whether people who currently have a DACA permit would be deported. 


Story of a young woman in the DACA program: What it's like to "not have papers," etc. http://www.cosmopolitan.com/politics/news/a32545/undocumented-student-harvard/

 Some personal stories of DACA participants: 

http://www.thefader.com/2017/01/18/daca-undocumented-youth-interview-trump 

How to become a U.S. Citizen:
If you were born in the U.S. or have one parent who is a citizen, then you probably are a U.S. citizen
If you aren't either of the above, you must follow steps to become a "Naturalized" Citizen. This means you need to fill out forms, be fingerprinted, have an interview and do tests in English and Civics. When you get the results, you will await the decision as to whether your application to become a citizen is accepted. Once it is, you will receive a notice to take the Oath of Citizenship at a ceremony where you will receive your citizenship papers.

                                                                          Flag of Faces, Ellis Island, New York
Once you are a citizen, you have these responsibilities:

• Support and defend the U.S. Constitution
• Stay informed of issues affecting your community
• Participate in the democratic process (such as voting in elections)
• Respect and obey federal, state, and local laws
• Respect the rights, beliefs, and opinions of others
• Participate in your local community
• Pay income and other taxes honestly and on time to federal, state, and local authorities
• Serve on a jury when called upon
• If necessary, defend the country should the need arise

 

 

https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/immigration/news/2015/06/10/114808/the-top-10-facts-you-need-to-know-about-immigrants-today/

 

 

 

Veterans Day: Did you know?

Originally, the name for this holiday was Armistice Day (armistice is an agreement to stop making war), the end of World War I,  and was held on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918.

 

• Great Britain, Canada, France, and Australia, all have similar days to honor veterans. In Great Britain and Canada, it's called Remembrance Day. For these countries, it is not necessarily on the 11th of November but is usually close to that date.

Of veterans in our country,

• 7 Million served in Viet Nam
• 5.5 Million served in the Persian Gulf
• 16 Million served in World War II
• 2 Million served in Korea
• 5.2 Million Veterans have served the country during peacetime; all veterans who have served in any capacity are honored on Veterans Day.

 

• 2.9 Million veterans have been disabled while serving their country
• 2 Million Veterans are female
• There's no apostrophe in the term Veterans Day

Interestingly, the term "war" is up for debate. What is 'war,' versus 'conflict,' 'Operation,' 'or 'intervention'? An interesting paragraph from MPN:

 

World War II was the last time Congress officially declared war. Since then, the conflicts we’ve called “wars” — from Vietnam through to the second Iraq War — have actually been congressional “authorizations of military force.” And more recently, beginning with the War Powers Act of 1973, presidential war powers have expanded so much that, according to the Congressional Research Service, it’s no longer clear whether a president requires congressional authorization at all. We could be considered to be currently involved in 0 wars or 134, depending on your definition.

 

Read the whole article here:  http://www.mintpressnews.com/us-now-involved-134-wars/196846/

 

The branches of the United States Military and what they do:

• Air Force: defending the country by air; also, space exploration
• Army: The oldest branch, and the largest, they supply troops on the ground
• Navy:  Defenders of the seas
• Marines: Ground forces supported by the Navy. The Marines do not have their own medical support as do the Army and Navy.
• Coast Guard: Defenders of our coasts

If you see a veteran today, offer a Thank You for their service. They don't hear it enough.

 

 

9/11/2001: Do You Remember?

It was a bright September morning, a Tuesday. I didn't need to be at work until 9:00. Getting ready, I had ABC news on the TV, not paying much attention. At some point, I sat down and watched for a while.




The oddest thing happened: The people reporting the news suddenly looked puzzled, as if they weren't hearing correctly through their earphones. Furrowed brows. Surprise. It looks, they said, as if someone ran a plane into one of the Twin Towers in New York City. The show broadcasts from New York and has the skyline visible behind them. What about that? How strange. How could that happen, the pilot must have had a heart attack or something.

How bad is the damage? They wondered, wanting as all newspeople do, to have all the details immediately. Where I sat, I wondered what happened but wasn't particularly concerned. Bummer. But that's in New York, not anywhere near me.




What did get my attention was the serious and concerned looks on their faces: It didn't seem to be just a story about a random plane crash. I sensed more danger than that. As they tried to fill time with talk, waiting for particulars, there was another explosion and a lot of black smoke visible behind them. A lot of it. Big plumes.




At this point, the news anchors glanced at one another in shock. There's something really unsettling when a TV news anchor is shocked.


And one of them said,


"That was not an accident. Someone just deliberately flew into that buillding. And if that's true, then I suspect the first plane was no accident, either." The tape of it was played over and over, as we watched in stunned silence as that second jet turned, dipped down, and almost seemed to fly straight through the tower. On purpose.

And just like that, our history changed.




Airports were shut down for fear of more attacks. How many more planes would do that?  There was one headed for the Pentagon. One headed for the White House. Two more headed who knows where. We considered ourselves under attack. What do we do now? If we're going to be attacked, I want to be at home, not at work. I want my children with me. But what do I tell them?




In just a moment, our lives were changed. Before, it was the threat of a bomb being dropped on us or maybe chemical warfare. Occasionally, not that often, we'd think: What if?




It never occurred to us that people would hijack a regular commercial airline in order to drive it into a regular building on a regular, early Fall, sunny day. That there were people who were willing to kill themselves along with a huge number of others, both in the planes and in the buildings.




Heroes emerged: People who refused to let the hijackers complete their plans, even though everyone in the planes died anyway. People who made every effort to save others. While victims struggled to get down the stairs of these buildings, time and again firefighters climbed back up to rescue everyone they could, losing their lives in the process.

The quiet of the next few days was eerie as we reeled from the horror of it: thousands of people dead. Papers with faces and descriptions begging for information, pleading for a loved one to be all right, were stapled everywhere in New York City. Hundreds upon hundreds of them. And slowly, we realized they would never be found-they were simply gone-changing the lives of those who loved them forever. The papers became tattered and damaged and washed out by rain as surely as the tears that were shed in realization.

Heart-wrenching stories of bright and shining lives destroyed, children who would not remember their parents, parents who lost children, families interrupted and broken. Hopeful people trying to make a start in New York City, others who had worked in those buildings for years; people just making a trip to California, the trusting faces of kids on their first plane rides...a terrible waste for all of us. So much was lost on that day, along with our naive opinion that no one would dare come here and attack us.




So what did we do? We started anew. The wreckage, almost unbelievably massive, was cleared. A new memorial was placed at the site of the Twin Towers that has walls of water, appropriately, and a new structure defiantly even taller than the old ones. Survivors are still healing, families still grieving, victims gone forever. It's been 16 years, and yet only the blink of an eye.

But in the days after, when out among people in stores and going on with their lives, there was a quiet, sad, sense of unity. We didn't need to talk about it, we knew the sadness and disappointment we were all feeling. Smiles came easier. Everyone seemed to say, "We're OK. We'll be OK." That strength you can only feel when shared with others in the same situation.


What can we learn from the attacks of 9/11? Anger? Tolerance? Suspicion? Hope? Being prepared? ?




Maybe we start from home. We start by reminding ourselves what really matters to us. Then we add a ring, our neighbors: how are they doing? Do they need help with anything? Add another ring, our community: What's going on that's good and bad? How can we get involved? And another ring: how can we change what we don't like in our country, and how do we support each other? There's strength in numbers. We can be stronger together than divided. And we'll never forget that day.

Flag Etiquette: Did You Know,,,,,?

Did you know this about our national flag???

• The flag should be displayed daily at public places such as schools during school days, public libraries, and government offices. It should also be present at polling places on election days.

• No flag shall fly higher than the national flag, and no flag shall fly to the right of the national flag as you look at it. Have you noticed the state and national flags at school? This is why the state flag is always lower and to the left.

• The only place our national flag is at the same level as other national flags is at the United Nations.

• When you attend a parade or other event where the flag is being carried past you, etiquette indicates you place your right hand over your heart until it passes. If you are in the military, you will salute. If you are out of uniform and carry a hat, you place the hat over your left shoulder so that your right hand is over your heart.

• When the flag is raised for the day, it should be done briskly. When lowered at the end of the day, it should be lowered 'with ceremony.'

What about the flag at half-staff? First, keep in mind the terms "half-staff" and "half-mast" are actually the same, however, to be correct, a 'mast' is only present on a ship, so "half-staff" is more correct for any flag flying on land (on a pole, which can be called a staff).

• The President or Governor of a state can proclaim a flag should be flown at half-staff in honor of a person who has served his or her country and has passed away (it does not have to be a person who served in the military). No one else is allowed to make that decision.

• The etiquette for having the flag at half-staff is to raise it initially all the way to the top of the staff, then lower it slowly to half staff and leave it that way for the day. At the end of the day when taking the flag down, the flag is to be raised back up to the top of the staff and then lowered completely to be taken down.

• The flag is to be flown at half-staff on Memorial Day until noon only.

• The flag should not be left on display after dark unless properly lit so you can still see it.

• To properly fold a flag, it is first held by a person at either short end. The flag is folded into thirds, one side in and then the other side over it. One person then grasps the flag at the corner and folds it into triangles. After the last triangle, the ends are tucked neatly inside.

• When placed on a casket, the flag's stars should lie on the person's left shoulder.

• Nothing should ever be pinned to the flag, and it should not be used as cloth to make anything. The flag should never touch the ground or any other surface below it. An old flag that is ragged should be 'retired' by giving it to a local VFW for them to dispose of.

Flag rules established by the 94th Congress, 1975-1977 (during our nation's Bicentennial).  For even more flag etiquette, visit: heritage-flag.com .

Happy 4th of July! Fly the Flag..........and be safe!!

How Much Power Does The President Have?

With the election coming up soon (Tuesday, November 8!!) we got to wondering: No matter who wins the election, how much power does the President of the United States actually have??

 

There are three branches of government in the U.S.: Executive (the President), Legislative (Congress and Senate) and Judicial (U.S. Supreme Court). In theory, at least, these three are supposed to cooperate to pass laws. In reality, there is a lot of negotiating, stalemates, and disagreements occurring between Congress, Senate, and the President. When the legislative part is run by one political party but the President belongs to another, this frequently causes problems.

President Obama signs the Affordable Care Act. The President uses several pens to sign these bills and then hands them off to people as souvenirs that they were present at the signing.

According to the United States Constitution, the President can:

 

• Suggest legislation to Congress, although Congress still has to pass it into law
• Sign or veto bills if 2/3 of the members of Congress agree
• Make treaties with other countries
• Grant reprieves or pardons
• Appoint ambassadors
• Appoint cabinet members
• Appoint Justices of the Supreme Court
• Fill vacancies in the Senate if it is in recess, without an election
• Nominate a new Vice President if that position is vacated, without an election

More in-depth explanations can be found here:

http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/powers-president

The President is the Commander in Chief of all the Armed Forces in our country. This means he or she, even though a civilian, is in charge of all branches of the military: Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines. There are chief advisors for each branch that confer with the President to keep him or her informed of any military actions. The President does not have the power to declare war, only Congress can do that.

A further explanation of "Commander in Chief" is here: http://work.chron.com/duties-commander-chief-16065.html

The President can be removed from office (the procedure is called impeachment) by an Act of Congress if he or she is suspected of:

• Treason-Treason is doing something that betrays your country, such as trying to overturn a ruler or take the ruler's life
• Bribery-Bribery is paying someone for his/her silence when you have done something wrong or illegal
• Other high crimes and misdemeanors-this 'catchall' phrase would include the types of things done by Richard Nixon when he was in office: lying about things he ordered to be done, to spy on the Democratic Party, for starters.  Read about his impeachment here: http://www.historyplace.com/unitedstates/impeachments/nixon.htm
• Presidents William Clinton and Andrew Johnson were also impeached, but unsuccessfully, so they completed their terms in office. President Richard Nixon resigned before he could be impeached.

What does the Vice President do, you may ask?? One duty of the Vice President is to preside over the Senate when it meets. The Vice President does have the power to vote only in cases where the Senate is tied in their votes.


The main job of the Vice President is to be available should something happen to the president; that is, the President dies, becomes unable to fulfill the duties of that office, or is removed from office. At that point, the Vice President steps in and becomes President. This has happened 8 times in our history. On 13 occasions, a Vice President has gone on to become elected as President.

While the President of the U.S. enjoys lots of perks, he or she does not actually hold a lot of power. That was the agreement when the country's Constitution was written.

 Air Force One is the President's jet. It is specially equipped for safety and is always 'on call' for use.

 So as far as power is concerned, the President is somewhat limited. He or she does, however, represent the whole country to the rest of the world, and has the responsibility of diplomacy, tact, and wisdom in dealing with other nations. He or she will travel extensively and will receive visitors from many countries during his or her time in office. The way the President conducts himself or herself is the way the rest of the world views us.  

Olympics, Summer 2016

Who's this?

 His name is Vinicius, and he's the mascot for the 2016 Summer Olympics to be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Learn more about how he was chosen here:

https://www.olympic.org/mascots

 

Did you know these things about the Olympics?

• The Olympics began in Greece in the 8th century BC and were based on combat and chariot racing. The ancient Greeks competed in the nude.
• In the year 393, the Olympics were banned by a ruler named Theodosius because he thought they were encouraging paganism. (Paganism- PAY gun ism, worshiping false gods). In 1894, renewed interest brought the games back.
• Since the Greeks were the originators of the Olympics, they are always the country leading all the rest when they enter the stadium for the opening ceremonies.
• Boating was an Olympic sport in 1908.
• Women were first allowed to compete in the Olympics in the year 1900.
• The United States currently holds the most Summer Olympic medals (total) at 2400 medals.We have won 281 medals in the Winter Olympics.
• The first International Olympics had 14 countries participating.

• The Olympic flag has 5 circles, which represent the continents: Asia, Africa, North and South America, Europe, and 'Oceania,' (the area in the Pacific Ocean including Australia and several islands).
• The color of the rings were chosen because every nation has at least one of those colors in its flag.
• Russia didn't participate in the Olympics from 1912 to 1952.

 

• There were no Olympics in 1916, 1940, or 1944, due to World Wars I and II.
• The last time gold medals given at the Olympics were solid gold was in 1912.
• In 1960, the Olympics were held in Squaw Valley, California and Walt Disney was in charge of the opening ceremonies.
• Ice Hockey and Figure Skating used to be part of the summer Olympics.
• Up until 1994, both the Winter and Summer Olympics were held every four years. After 1994, they were 'staggered' so that one or the other is held every two years, but still in four year intervals. That means the Summer Olympics were held in 2008, and will be in 2012, 2016, 2020. The Winter Olympics have been/will be in 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018.
• Professional athletes weren't allowed to compete in the Olympics until 1981.
• The youngest person, or at least one of the youngest persons, to win a gold medal was Marjorie Gestring of the United States, who won for diving in 1936. She was 13 years old.

A history of Olympic Medals: https://www.olympic.org/olympic-medals

• The Olympics had never taken place in South America until now, and have not taken place in Asia or Africa. The games are specifically held by a city and not a country.

What about the torch that will light the Olympic flame?

• The torch was lit in Olympia, Greece, as the tradition dictates. For these summer games, it was lit on April 21. It arrived in Brasilia on May 3. Follow its journey here: https://www.olympic.org/rio-2016-torch-relay  On August 5, it will be used to light the cauldron in Rio to signify the opening of the games.  
• The Paralympics are also held every four years (Summer and Winter), for people with disabilities. Learn more about it at:
  
  
  
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paralympic_Games  And specificically the games at Rio:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2016_Summer_Paralympics  This year, they will take place from September 7 to the 11th, after the 'regular' Olympics.  

What sports are going to be in the Summer Olympics?

The Summer Olympic sports are archery, badminton, basketball, beach volleyball, boxing, canoe / kayak, cycling, diving, equestrian, fencing, field hockey, gymnastics, handball, judo, modern pentathlon (shooting, fencing, swimming, show jumping, and running), mountain biking, rowing, sailing, shooting, soccer, swimming, synchronized swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, track and field, triathlon (swimming, biking, running), volleyball, water polo, weightlifting, and wrestling.

How long before you realized there were two divers?

 

Here is the Rio Olympics website:   https://www.olympic.org/rio-2016   You can also follow the 2016 Summer Olympics on Facebook and Twitter.



What's Still Great About America

Have you noticed there is always plenty of complaining going on about the United States? Lately, it's been coming from within as we try to sort out who should be our next President. And that matters a great deal: Who do we want to lead us? Who do we want to represent our country to the other countries of the world?


But regardless of who is elected, we ought to keep in mind this fact: America is America, it's a great country, and nothing is going to change that. We've always been a country of immigrants, and people from elsewhere still want to come here.  Here's why:

 

• We are far from perfect, but we have tried to right past wrongs and to give people a decent lifestyle.
• People come here because of job opportunities they do not have in their home countries
• They come here because at the least, we offer free public education from Kindergarten through the 12th grade, as well as pre-school opportunities and Special Education for children who need it. These things are simply not offered in some countries or come with a price tag too high for many people to pay.

• There is also help paying for college, and in some situations scholarships help immensely.
• Our Bill of Rights: Freedom of Speech, Religion, Assembly, Equal Justice

• Freedom to travel anywhere in the country without being suspected of anything
• Programs to help the poor with housing and food
• High quality medical care
• The United States does not have a mission of dominating the world. We'd prefer to live in peace with other countries if possible, and to fight for and with those who deserve better.
• The U.S. is known for its humanitarian efforts to improve the standard of living for poorer countries: We donate food, medicine, and send teachers to help others, and we're there when a catastrophe occurs somewhere else.
• We tend to forget we enjoy basic things such as clean water, good roads (for the most part) that are clearly marked, and freedom to dress any way you choose: these are other reasons why the U.S. is desirable.

• Availability of a wide variety of foods which must pass standards of healthfulness, available in supermarkets in most communities
• Separation of church and state

And let's not forget these things that were invented by Americans:

• Computer
• Internet                  
• Cell phones   
• Assembly line

• Movie camera

• Phonograph
• First person to walk on the moon
• Telephone
• Microwave
• Lasers
• The first airplane flight
• Zippers
• Hearing aids
• Defibrillator (to shock a heart back to rhythm)
• Lasers
• GPS
• Video Games

• (And most important of all) Chocolate Chip cookies

 

And this is because Americans are inventors, people who are encouraged to be creative and who know 'the sky's the limit' in this country. And when we fail, the rest of us say, 'Try it again!' and we do.

 

These are just some of the reasons people still want to come to the United States. What is your family's story? When did they arrive here? Why did they come here? Take some time to reflect on whether your life is better or not simply by living in the USA.

 

- "In America, your destiny is not prescribed; it is constructed. Your life is like a blank sheet of paper, and you are the artist. The freedom to be the architect of your own destiny is the force behind America's worldwide appeal. Young people, especially, find the prospect of authoring the narrative of their own lives irresistible."

 

 -Dinesh D'Souza
Read his excellent essay here: http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2006/02/whats-great-about-america