When we think of freedom in America, those of us who were raised before they started painting America as the bad guys... we think of freedom of speech, freedom of religion, the right to choose our leaders... fundamental things like that. I do not want to treat those concepts lightly; they are the foundation of our country. Without them, nothing else would matter. But on a practical, day-to-day, down-to-earth level, when I think of freedom in America, I think of a slew of other things -- blessings that are unique to this marvelous country. And for these many things, I am eternally grateful.

The Infrastructure

I worked in downtown Atlanta in the late 70s. What an exciting and marvelous place! People, buildings, cars, buses, music, commerce... movin' and groovin'... every day. One afternoon there was a power failure in the heart of downtown Atlanta. Virtually everything came to a halt. Cars could not navigate the streets; vendors could not sell their goods; business could not be conducted. And oh, the people in the ice cream store in the lobby of the building where I worked... whew! They went nuts! The blackout lasted less than 90 minutes, but it crippled the city.

My point is that we rely on a system of roads, electricity lines, phone lines, water and sewer... an infrastructure which, despite the occasional horror stories, is amazingly reliable. Virtually every hour of every day, in even the furthest corner of the country: flip a switch, and a light goes on; pick up a phone, and talk to anyone in the country; get in our car and drive anywhere... it is nearly unique to our country. This is an essential part of everyday freedom.

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