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hard work, grit and determination. We are boot-strappers and aren’t afraid to take on the challenges of success. We don’t rely on others for our success and we understand that the government is not Superman. We have the opportunity to become our own destiny and build our own legacy. America, overall, is a true meritocracy where discipline and hard work breeds success and that is the heart and soul of what it is to be an American, and more importantly that is why I am proud to be an American.
City of Houston Controller Ronald C. Green Discusses Freedom and Why He's a Proud American with Aubrey R. Taylor AUBREY R. TAYLOR: What does freedom mean to you? CONTROLLER GREEN: On the most essential level, freedom is the intrinsic right to choose for yourself what you will do with your life. Within the confines of a society’s laws, an individual is free to pursue a chosen livelihood and personal pleasures such as marriage and volunteerism in the community. Freedom brings certain responsibilities, I think, such as participation in the affairs of one’s community, and it also may involve the duty to protect the freedom we are given through service to our country. One needs only to imagine living in a country or society where freedom is denied to realize what a hardship that would be. I am also mindful of the past, and the struggles that millions of Americans faced in gaining true freedom in our land, the cost they paid.
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AUBREY R. TAYLOR: Why are you proud to be an American? CONTROLLER GREEN: People around the globe are envious of the enormous opportunities that most Americans have. I believe the greatest advantage we have is the ability to choose our leaders—and our history is rich with brilliant, humane and thoughtful leaders. Democracy is synonymous with America. I am personally proud that I have served my community through elected office. In the larger scheme, I am proud of the ingenuity that defines America: our industrial and commercial strengths, our medical and scientific breakthroughs, our arts and cultural geniuses. As an African-American, I take special pride in that heritage and the many individual accomplishments made to this country by those of my race who came before me.