Dear Reader,
I am curious to know if you have ever stopped to think about what you like most about our beautiful country – USA. Not so long ago, I watched a TV program that had many celebrities talking about this subject. I think that this question is interesting enough to consider for a moment.
The first person on the panel liked the First Amendment of the Constitution the most.This amendment prohibits, among others, the making of laws impeding the free exercise of religion, the freedom of speech, free press and the right to peaceful assembly. It was adapted on December 15, 1791 as one of the amendments that constitute the Bill of Rights. Originally, the provisions of the Bill were interpreted more narrowly than they are today. The Supreme Court of USA began to rule on the interpretations of those amendments in the twentieth century. It must be added here, that many democratic countries have similar laws, but the United States of America is one of the few where these laws are strictly adhered to, and where contentious cases are heard by the Supreme Court.
Another celebrity said he liked the fact that in the USA there are cities like Las Vegas! I was also surprised – really – until he explained what he meant. It turns out that to some, Las Vegas represents the American dream, a city with inexpensive housing and decent wages; the result of balance between strong unions and associations of owners. In other words, it is a haven for the middle class.
Yet another celebrity opined that she was delighted by the number and accessibility of the national parks. A national park is an area of special scenic, historical or scientific importance set aside and maintained by the federal government. The idea behind it is the conservation of wild nature for posterity and to be a symbol of national pride. For example, Yellowstone National Park was established by the federal government in 1872 as a public park for the benefit and enjoyment of people. It is generally considered as the first and oldest national park in the world. The majority of national parks provide outdoor recreation and camping opportunities, as well classes designed to educate the public on the importance of the conservation of nature.
Many other opinions were expressed, but the celebrity who talked about America’s public libraries said what I like the most. As it happens, my mom was a librarian, my daughter and son-in-law are librarians, and my love for books knows no bounds. Wherever I go, my eyes are always on the lookout for books, whether they should find a space on my shelves or not. Returning to the subject, according to the estimates, there are over 119 thousand of them in the USA! One could write a great deal about the role and importance of public libraries in the life of American society, and someday I will. Each inhabitant of United States has free access to libraries, and with that, access to the wide range of information. Libraries also help the general public in other various fields and provide free learning opportunities for the young and old. Let me add here that the Cleveland Public Library (CPL) is one of the best in USA, and it has the largest collection of materials related to the game of chess in the world!
And now I will ask you, dear reader, what do you like the most about the USA? Maybe you can share your thoughts with us. We shall readily publish your opinion in our Forum.
Sincerely,
Joseph Hart
From the editor,
For your information:
The Library of Congress is the largest library in the world, with more than 160 million items on approximately 838 miles of bookshelves. The collections include more than 37 million books and other print materials, 3.5 million recordings, 14 million photographs, 5.5 million maps, 7.1 million pieces of sheet music and 66 million manuscripts