Humans

I'm reading Rachel Held Evan's book, Searching for Sunday, and part of her awakening as a Christian is understanding how much of the happenstance of your religious upbringing is based on where you are born.

It made me think.  As an American (I am assuming you are), do you believe in the monarchy, that certain people are born to rule a country? Do you believe in aristocracy, that certain people are better than you--entitled--because their parents, grandparents, great-grandparents were earls and dukes and, therefore, you are not as good as them?

What I love about America is that is not how we play.  We don't have a monarchy and we don't have an aristocracy.  We are all humans and we are all (supposed to be) equal under the law and God.

So why is it that some people believe that being born American makes you better than everyone else? Why is it that some Americans think that only Americans are human? Or that "yes, we're all human" but that Americans are born as better humans than everyone else, like the world's version of aristocracy? 

I love America.  I think our country--based on equality under the law and in every other conceptualization--makes us the best country in the world.  I'd love a little more US cultural appreciation of work-life balance, but I love America and I love being an American.

But I don't think that as a human, I or anyone else in this country, is better than any other human in this world.  And I don't think that view is shared by all my countrymen and countrywomen.