Saturday is the Fourth of July. For most Americans, it is a day to barbecue and watch fireworks. For me it is a chance to watch the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Championship on Coney Island, sandwiched by a Twilight Zone marathon. Whatever the tradition, some Americans, including our President, have become almost apologetic for America over the last decade. They have  no problem confessing our imperfections to others around the world… and yes, we do have a lot of them. Other Americans are downright adamant about being American. They say that we are the best country in the world, and they are biased against other countries. But do they know what they are proud of?

First, do not apologize for being American. We do have a lot to be proud of. No country gives or spends more time and money on non-profit causes. We are the most charitable country in the world. Few countries have as advanced a system of democracy and judicial justice and process. We are a country with a volunteer army, which — despite a somewhat controversial history — has been used to defend our allies from tyranny or invasion. We are a country that has nurtured the growth of academic institutions like Harvard and Yale, and medical institutions like the Mayo Clinic. And no country in the world has contributed more to mankind in the way of the automobile, television, internet, and space exploration, just to name a few.

Second,  I hear people all the time refer to themselves as Italian, or Jewish, or African-American. It is nice to identify with your ethnic background. It explains your family history, your features, your skin color, possibly even your household customs or language. But you step outside that house, and you share the same schools, offices, highways, and ball fields with other Americans. Not other Europeans, Asians, or Africans. We are all descendants of survivors. Survivors of persecution, enslavement, and or poverty. More than who we are is what we share — our culture. I have more in common with an American whose parents were born in India, than some Irish bloke from Belfast. I can talk with the Indian guy about who will win the World Series, the best diner to go for eggs after midnight, and the headache of paying back Stafford Loans. The Irish guy would know none of this. Maybe more importantly, we can talk about things in inches, pounds, gallons, and miles instead of centimeters, kilos, liters, and kilometers.

Make no mistake about it. We share a common and unique culture. I once spoke with a Polish girl who told me that we had no culture here. She insisted that all of our culture was from Europe, Asia, or Africa, and that the only genuine American culture was hot dogs and hamburgers. I disagreed. Culture is the way we, our family, and our neighbors live their lives. American food is not hot dogs and hamburgers, but BBQ brisket and ribs. It is turkey and stuffing, steak and eggs, potato salad, clam chowder, shrimp gumbo, and s’mores. America is the birthplace of the amusement park and circus. We are the home of jazz, rock, rap, and country music. We have break dancing and square dancing. We play football on Thanksgiving and watch it on Super Bowl Sunday. Try finding all of that in one place — even Canada.

I have lived in Mexico and the Philippines. My family has traveled all over the world. My closest friends are from Brazil and Colombia. And I hear the stories, and I see the differences. There is no place like America. Some places might be cleaner, some places might be less expensive, and some places might be more friendly. But no place has the unique combination of opportunity, fulfillment, and individualism of the United States.

As to the idea that the U.S. is either the best or the worst country in the world… I submit that there is no best country in the world, and it is good enough to just say the United States is great. So on Saturday I predict that Kobayashi will edge out Joey Chestnut with 68 hot dogs in 10 minutes, and take the Mustard Belt back to… Japan? Happy Fourth of July.

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