Kerby Anderson

Is America great? Was America great? These are questions that deserve an answer in a year when we will be celebrating the 250^th anniversary of this country.

We know the divisions. On one side is Donald Trump and all the people who wear caps that say, “Make America Great Again.” On the other side are the critics of him and the country who even created the #AmericaWasNeverGreat hashtag on social media.

Critics have every right to express their discontent with America. But at a time when many want to express their gratitude for what this country has done, liberals and progressives are making long lists of America’s sins.

What we need is an honest debate about America and its history. While we can point to many dark chapters in American history, it should not blind us to the many successes. America had slavery and the Indian wars, but it also abolished slavery and discriminatory laws in a constitutional republic that has lasted more than two centuries. The U.S. fought many wars (several were ill-advised), but it has also protected the world from tyranny.

Talk show host Michael Medved used to start every program with the statement that this is “the greatest nation on God’s green earth.” Given the decline in America, people sometimes ask him if he still thinks America is the greatest nation. He always responds by asking them, "can you think of a better nation?"

I have seen several attempts by critics to use a selected set of statistics to prove that other countries (usually in Europe) are a better place to live. I would love to see a more balanced and less biased set of statistics.

Is America great? Was America ever great? There are lots of people who don’t believe that it was. Let’s have a debate about America’s greatness that involves more than a hashtag.