America’s Best Idea
Posted on September 28, 2009
It’s been impossible to miss all the recent promotion about Ken Burn’s new PBS documentary, “The National Parks: America’ Best Idea.” I’m particularly attracted to the use of the phrase “Best Idea” in the title. Are the National Parks our best idea? If not, what is?
After the election of Barack Obama, a grassroots group launched a campaign to solicit ‘best ideas” which you can evaluate for yourself at www.change.org/ideas. I’ll go along with the National Parks suggestion by Burns, and add a few of my own:
- Our system of checks and balances (Legislative, Executive and Judicial branches)
- The Civil Rights Act of 1964 (albeit 200 years overdue)
- A federal holiday on the Friday after Thanksgiving
- The interstate highway system
- A nationwide 911 system for emergencies
- Nutrition labeling on food
What would you rank as some of our best ideas as a nation?
