I Love America - Go Vote

  • Wednesday, November 2, 2016

Unless you have been able to completely block out the world around you the past few months, you have been bombarded with the fact that we have an election coming up. And unless you have found some media outlets that I don’t know anything about, 94.7 percent of the news we hear about the different candidates and the different parties is negative.   

Most of you know me well enough to know that I allow myself to be consumed by this stuff. And if we are being honest, I have to be to a point because the government we elect makes a lot of decisions that directly impact our company and our employees.   

But today, instead of sending another email as we approach this election that reminds us of all the things that scare us with what’s going on in our world today, I’ve decided to send you an email that I need to write for my own well-being. I need to tell you the things that I love about our country…instead of just always talking about the things that frustrate me. This is a common practice in marriage counseling. It’s easy over time to look at your spouse and just think about the little things that annoy us. If we come to that point in our marriage then we need to take a step back and reflect on all the things that we love about our spouse. 

So, this morning I’m taking a step back to reflect on 10 things I love about America.   

Clean running water. I’ve never worried about testing the water that comes out of the faucet at my house, office, hotel, church, etc. Billions of people would love to have this luxury. 

Sports. America has the greatest sports in the world. I can drive two hours and go to a Braves, Falcons, Vols, Titans, or Predators game. Or – I can stay in town and go watch UT-Chattanooga. Or I can flip on the TV and watch an endless supply of sports. Many of us have weekends that are full of the great sports in this country. 

Technology. Yes I love the new phones and tablets and bluetooth and facetime and social media…but I’d say I’m most thankful for a simple old school DVD player. Every night I can pop in Andy Griffith or I Love Lucy and watch as many episodes as I want. 

Freedom of Religion. I’ve never walked in to a church building worried for my safety. I’ve never carried a Bible in public and feared that I’d be arrested.  Very thankful for that. 

Service people. Whether it be our local police and firefighters and first responders, or our military folks serving us across the world, millions of people have taken jobs that’s sole purpose is to protect and serve me and you. Wow. 

The election process. I may not always agree with the results but we have a democracy where every vote is equal and is counted and we all get the chance to have our say through voting. 

Access to food. I’ve never had to harvest or kill the food I’m eating. I’m surrounded by places that will quickly prepare me a full meal with safe food to eat. Plus - I eat about 100 cashews a day and don’t have to crack a single shell. 

The beauty. Our drivers get to see it every day as they cross the country. Others of us get to see it when traveling on vacation. Coast to coast, our country is full of amazing beauty. The Grand Canyon. The beaches of the Gulf. The Rockies and the Appalachians. The deserts of the West and the small harbor towns of the Northeast. What a beautiful country. 

The interstate system. Yes it needs repairs in a lot of places, but can you imagine not having interstates to drive on. Travel would take forever and would be miserable. 

The American Dream. The fact that a boy from Dalton, Ga. without a college degree can grow a trucking company like ours. That’s #1 due to God blessing us and #2 due to the opportunities we all have in America. If someone can dream it….it can be accomplished here.  

Let’s always remember the many reasons why we love America. Go vote. 

David Parker
CEO, Covenant Transportation Group

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