To the editor:

Our generations born between 1940 through 1980 lived during the greatest and most prosperous time in American history. Yet, much of today’s news is focused on negativism — about what is wrong with America — which is dividing our country and destroying it for future generations who follow us.

In our youth, we learned to respect our laws and those in authority. We attended school, worked hard and earned our achievements in life. We did not demand them from our fellow man or from government.

As a poor, small-town farm boy who graduated in the lower half of my high school class of 40 students, I was told that I would never amount to anything in life. However, I was determined to live a better life than the one in which I was raised. To do so, I had to establish goals and priorities for my life. I then worked two jobs while pursuing a two-year associate degree. I continued working and served in the U.S. Army Reserve, while pursuing a four-year degree, and then began an MBA program. Never did I receive a dime of assistance from anyone. Yet, I was never bitter or blamed others. And I never quit on myself!

Since that time, career travel exposed me to much of the world, including China, Hong Kong, many of the African countries, the Middle East, Europe, and Central and South America. I also gained working relationships with our U.S. Congress, several U.S. presidents and high-level leaders of many foreign countries.

Now that I am retired and look back on life, I fully realize how kind our God/Creator was to me, and to all who were given the gift of being born and/or raised in America.

I now fully realize that if you or I had been born in most other countries, few or none of us would have had the freedom and opportunity to achieve anything comparable to the American Dream.

At this time, I still have two major questions that I cannot answer. Both bother me greatly.

First, what did each of us do in the past to deserve the privilege of being born/raised in America — this great land of opportunity? Why weren’t we born in China, Zimbabwe, Cuba, Venezuela, or a similar country where American freedoms do not exist, and people live under tyrannical dictatorships?

Second, why do so many hateful politicians and self-appointed social loudmouths want to destroy America — rather than teach and mentor today’s youth on how they can achieve their American Dream by exploring the enormous number of opportunities available to them, and by helping them define the steps they need to take, to achieve their dream — along with a timetable to accomplish each step along the way? Why are these people trying to destroy the future for upcoming generations of our families?

No, America is not perfect — primarily because we are human. No one is perfect. Are you perfect? I’m not. But, America is the greatest country on this Earth, and I thank God every day for being so kind to give me the opportunity to live here, and to earn/experience the American Dream.

I hope you and your families had a wonderful time celebrating Independence Day in America.

Evan A. Werling, Brown County, CPA and international entrepreneur