This past Tuesday night, erev Inauguration, in a cold classroom with the windows open, and the January wind coursing through, I decided to get a sense of how our seventh graders felt about America.  So I gave each student a sheet of paper that had a prompt on it, and asked everyone to think about the prompt and write their response which they would then share.

The prompt was: “America is the greatest country in the history of the world.”  Do you agree or disagree with this statement?  Please explain your reasoning.

That prompt came from me, from my heart and soul.  I grew up believing it.  I went to college in the late 70s and early 80s, majoring in American history.  After studying American history,  I still somehow believed it.  Shira and I brought three children into the world, and I believed it. And taught it to my children.  I told Nat, Sam and Jordana many times, while they were under our roof, America is the greatest country in the history of the world–because it welcomes immigrants from all over the world.