Our unique American culture

I still think we are a melting pot. That, and time, has made us unique. I have been around the world, like in living "over there", and I recognize this probably more than others who have not traveled as much. I also think our Constitution and way of government have also helped in the new world area we live in to make us different.

Two old time comments come to mind. One is "Americans always do the right thing, after exhausting all other possibilities". The other is that "democracy is not perfect, but compared to the alternatives, it is pretty good".

Now one can say all cultures are unique, and I would agree. But I would add that all cultures are not equal, that is some are more successful than others, and my experience has led me to this belief.

And by luck and circumstance, I think our American culture is one of the more successful cultures, especially compared to the alternatives. I choose to take advantage of it, mostly for my and my Family's benefit. That's American, too, in my opinion.

And "unique and American to boot" has some obvious examples to me. Now I think of myself as Scotch-Irish, but when in rural Scotland decades ago I and the Scottish farmers, though both were speaking "English", could not understand each other. Obviously, and in spite of our common ancestry, countless generations apart had brought this about. Yep, I was an American, not a Scottish person.

My historical guess is the fusion of all the cultures in this new world America has brought this unique American culture about. Just look at our standards of dress, music, favorite foods, moral standards, Family expectations, married names, etc, and make up your own mind. I even had a buddy from North Dakota who spoke Norwegian until he was five, and had never seen a Negro until he joined the Marines. Yet he always thought of himself as an American. I did, too.

For those so inclined, go back to "your" mother country; many will not recognize the culture they enter, depending on how many generations you may be removed from your Family's original immigrants into new world America. Like it or not, you are an American, and from new world America.

Now this idea of a unique American culture is not generic. Even decades ago American Spanish was different from Castilian Spanish (the mother country's language), but the people I hung around with (from both areas) could communicate, with effort. But it was also obvious, both groups were from different cultures.

And one more personal story. Not too long ago I was president of a land company that owned a 23,000 acre bobwhite quail plantation in SC, and was offered an opinion by a PhD (Princeton) from WV about the "swept yard" idea there, where many homes had bare dirt yards, which was an African good way to keep out reptiles and even help protect the kids. While I never did it (had a swept yard), I would have expected most of these local people to say (if I had asked) this is just the way they were brought up, as in this idea is now an American idea; cultural to me, though practical, to them.

Last, maybe I am becoming an old fuddy duddy, like in resisting change. To me, this is kind of funny, since as a Marine, I embrace change and all the opportunities it presents for those willing to exploit it. But even I don't like all the cultural change I see going on, but our unique American culture (and our Constitution) also gives even me a chance to assert myself, and I will, in my way.

This idea is unique in the world, and so new world American. I am confident in this report, too, as an American.