What Makes America Different?

By Clarence

The biggest thing in my opinion that makes America different is We, the People; the American people is what makes us as a nation different. Right from the beginning with the Pilgrims, Americans were thirsting for freedom, and they continued to. The American revolutionaries and founders also thirsted for freedom and they found a way to preserve that freedom "for themselves and their posterity”. That way was our new and different system of government.

     All over the world there were corrupt and tyrannical kings, emperors and dictators, but in America the founders were tired of tyrants, tired of their rights being abused, so they decided to try something different. They "brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.” It was a new government, a true republic, based on the system of equal rights and equal representation but not necessarily equal things. 

     Today some other nations have followed the example of the United States to a degree, but almost none have quite the same system, and almost none have had anywhere near the success we've had with our system. Many other nations have presidents, prime-ministers, and parliaments, etc., but they don't have the limited government, separation of powers, or checks and balances that our constitution provides. 

     As for why this form of government works so well and has lasted so long, I think that is because our constitution is written down, not just a pile of laws and no constitution at all like some other nations. Also it is very difficult to amend, requiring a two-thirds majority of both houses to pass, and three-quarters of the states must also ratify amendments. But perhaps the biggest reason is that it is a "government of the people, by the people, and for the people”, and if we all do our part to keep it that way it will not perish from the earth.