Today, I will share billboard to me number 40 – be a bold American man. That’s right. I’m going to talk about my country, the USA. In this blog, I will attempt to talk about America without getting deep into politics or adding to the negative noise that seemingly overwhelms all Americans. I’d rather be positive, constructive, and unifying.
What is a BB2ME?
Some of you are probably scratching your heads and wondering what in the world a Billboard to Me (BB2ME) is. The idea is simple. I created Letter to Sons to pass along lessons I learned so my sons can live the best life possible. One of the ways I did that was by writing Billboards to Me. At the end of each month, I write down three things on PowerPoint slides, print them out, and tape them to my bathroom mirror so that I can see them. I call these Billboards to me. They are typically observations, life lessons, or things I learned the hard way. Some are serious, and some are not. I share more context and details about the billboards in these videos and on my blog.
I was born in the historic city of Philadelphia.
Not many people know I was born in a suburb of Philadelphia. My father was in the Army during my early years, and we moved around a fair bit. Therefore, I was born in Philadelphia but did not spend much time there. I was raised in Northern Virginia. Sadly, I did not return to Philadelphia until Kim and I decided to take the kids there in 2019.
How was America founded?
Philadelphia is one of America’s most historic cities. While visiting, we visited the tour spots, mostly centered around how America was founded. You can’t help but think about what the founding fathers did almost 250 years ago. Not only did they tell a king to piss off, but we fought a war against the British Empire, one of the greatest empires in the world at the time. After winning that war, the founding fathers wrote documents to form a government and a new country. It was a bold vision, full of Big Ideas—a ballsy move by the founding fathers.
BB2ME #40 – America was founded with a bold vision
If you’ve never seen a BB2ME, below is what it looks like. A quote followed by what inspired it. In this case, BB2ME #40 – this country was founded by men with a bold vision, big Ideas, and strong convictions. Be that guy. Our family trip to Philadelphia inspired this BB2ME.
Why I wrote this BB2ME
I was inspired by the story of the Founding Fathers while visiting Philadelphia. It is hard for me to put myself in their shoes 250 years ago. When they created the USA, it was a bold and radical idea. This country was started from scratch. I do not want to glamorize the Founding Fathers. They did not get everything right when forming the government. Slavery was the most significant issue they got wrong. It took a hundred years in a civil war to rectify that mistake, costing hundreds of thousands of American lives. However, America has lasted two and a half centuries. Exceptional if you think about it.
America is the greatest country in the world.
Some people might not like what I’m about to say, and that’s okay. I believe the USA is still the greatest country in the world today. This statement comes from someone who’s traveled and served in the United States military. There is nothing like America out in the world. It is the greatest country if you think about the positive impact of America on the world during its 250 years of existence. It is unparalleled compared to other countries. Do we have our challenges? Yes, absolutely. I will talk about those next. However, I don’t want to be down on the United States as a country. I want to be unifying by saying we are the greatest country, and we can continue if we come together and face our challenges.
America has challenges…we always have
The US is not perfect. We never have been and never will. Our country is called the United States of America, not the partisan States of America, not the divided States of America, and not the bipartisan States of America. I wish our politicians would quit throwing rocks at each other. Instead, let’s come together and work on solutions to our common problems. That is the secret sauce that has made America grow and become the greatest country in the world. If we want to continue that role, we need to do more of that and less of the name-calling and all the other nonsense we hear and see these days.
How I incorporated this billboard into my life
- I created a bold vision for my own life that can hopefully positively impact my country.
- I do not go negative or do politics on social media. If you check my Facebook, I don’t do politics.
- I think about solutions that could move our country forward rather than continue to divide us.
Three ideas to make America better
Below are three ideas to improve America that I think many people would get behind.
- Set age limits for leaders. We’re witnessing this firsthand during the current election. We could debate what the number is. I think 80 would be a good starting point for the limit.
- Establish term limits for leaders. We are not a monarchy. You should not die in office, much less spend decade after decade in the same position. Citizens should rotate in and out so that we have new blood and new thinking, which will make us better.
- I’m confused about how the Electoral College works. It is a mess. Whoever gets the most votes wins the election. Otherwise, we’ll have contested elections, which is not good for the country.
Three current challenges that need attention
Here are the top three challenges that come to mind for me. Number one – immigration. We have neglected to solve this problem for decades, and it’s only worsening. The reality is we have millions of illegal immigrants in the USA. I don’t know the solution. All I know is we need to wrap our arms around this problem and figure out a better way forward. I cannot think of any other large country that handles its borders or immigration as poorly as we do. Number two is the national debt. The number is so significant that I don’t think we understand it. It almost feels like we’re playing with Monopoly money, and all I can say is that it’s not good for the country. Some people will not like my opinion about number three – gun control. There is too much gun violence in this country. We witness too many people killed and too many school shootings. It is unacceptable. We need to do something to improve the situation. I’m sick of turning on the TV and seeing that there is another mass killing. The statistics are unlike any other civilized country in the world.
What about you?
Let me wrap up this blog by asking the question, “What about you?” To my sons and anybody else watching this video, do you have a bold vision for your life that will positively impact America or whatever country you’re in? If so, great job—keep going. If not, do something about it and figure out a better path forward. Together, I feel like we can all make the world a better place.
I am Doug Keating, and this is my letter to my sons.