The most amazing things about America are the little truths. I'm not talking about freedom of speech or religion, I consider those large truths. Everyone sees and appreciates the large truths. However, the small truths are not universally appreciated. I'd argue that small truths are often cast in a negative light by many who yearn for change.
One example of a small truth is that most Americans are overweight and a significant percentage are obese. The media likes to spin this as a negative. Yet in much of the world, decent nutrition is difficult to come by. Obesity is a byproduct of an economic system in which even the poorest of the poor have easy access to food.
My favorite small truth is the fact that in America, there is a large industry devoted to battling constipation. Try this experiment the next time you are home sick during a weekday: watch two hours of network television and count the commercials touting laxatives, stool softeners and prunes. I dare say that you will see a handful. Meanwhile in many areas of the world, dysentery is a larger problem. Keeping regular is a burden for affluent Americans, but it isn't one we share with our third world brothers.
Another little truth is that Americans are wasteful. They say that the Native Americans used every bit of the buffalo, it was sacred to them. That's because they were poor, they couldn't afford to waste anything. Today's Americans, even the poorest, can afford to trash items that still have value, or waste resources on the unnecessary. To tie it all together, I offer the newest ad for prunes. Sunsweet now advertises packages of individually wrapped prunes, despite the fact that a normal serving of prunes is between four and eight pieces. That packaging arrangement offers Americans a chance to toss a little extra in the garbage on the way to their morning grumpy.
