So here we are again. The sky no longer stays lit past 5 p.m., the leaves are falling, the temperatures make our noses red, and all Badger football home games are over.

Fall has come upon us.

This means it will soon be winter, and along with winter comes chilly artic air and depressingly grey days. Yet, for some of us, this is the best season of the year because along with the cold comes snow, which is fun in so many ways. I know that not all agree with snow being super, and those of you who don’t probably came to or stayed in Wisconsin for a different reason: because the University of Wisconsin is one of the best colleges in the country.

Madison is consistently rated among the top schools in the country. Among all universities we’re rated 31st, and focusing just on public universities we’re rated seventh (U.S. News and World Report). Of course, let us not forget our No. 1 rating — the best college sports town in America (Sports Illustrated On Campus). These are some pretty impressive numbers and a few of the reasons we can and do walk around proud to be attending Madison. It seems a no-brainer to be proud of our school, but what about our country?

In the recent weeks, right along with the messy campaigns, people seemed to be more openly speaking their minds about all the horrible “atrocities” occurring in our country. The complaints have ranged from education to poverty and are probably mostly fueled by the ending of the election, but now it is time to start the uniting process. It is the parties’ strategies to create divisiveness, but this also creates much anger directed at fellow neighbors and citizens, and this is unhealthy and unproductive. There are much better ways to move a populace in a direction, and it is not through anger and hatred.

It’s time for all of us to stop taking our country for granted. We live in one of the best countries in the world. Of course we aren’t a perfect country; there isn’t such a thing, but when compared to most other countries, we are doing amazingly well for ourselves.

We have just completed a nonviolent election as an example that we all can be proud of — this is what democracy is all about: the right to choose our government freely without fear. People seem to forget this.

Most have reasonable access to good educational facilities, infrastructure, cultural events, museums and health care. Yes, the word “most” is used because there are some who are not included in this populace. When comparing ourselves even to our closest neighbor in the south, Mexico, however, our quality of life rates far superior. Our cost of living is reasonable considering what we have invested in our country regarding the social as well as infrastructure programs that provide us with an excellent quality of life. It is important that we remember all of these things.

As a student, you are most likely living in some sort of decent accommodations. Sure, a six-by-eight-foot dorm room may not seem like home, but it keeps you warm, and there is food readily available. The fact that you have food and shelter and are receiving one of the best educations in the country should make you feel proud to be a U.S. citizen.

Yet, I know some of you will still not be satisfied and continue to roll your eyes, while pondering how inhumane the United States is. You’re probably thinking of our homeless. Yes, it is sad that we have homeless, but our levels of homelessness pale in comparison to many other countries. We have numerous shelters and food kitchens running, and there are always fundraisers to help create more. In other countries — Costa Rica for example — what we consider homeless wouldn’t even be given a second thought. Barrios are commonplace, people live on dirt floors, have no running water and only a piece of tin to cover their heads. In fact, a citizen of Costa Rica commented that he had stayed in a jail in the United States for a month and didn’t want to leave because it was so much nicer than his “home” in Costa Rica.

Also, our public school systems here are rock-solid in comparison to others. In Costa Rica you could not get an education without attending private school. The children who went to public schools, even at older ages such as 12, often could not read or write past a typical second grade level.

This is poverty. The United States of America does not know poverty like so many other countries. So yes, while it may seem easy to bash the United States for all its so-called problems, remember the countries out there that truly are struggling, and for once, take pride in the United States, even if you don’t agree with all it portrays.

It is easy to sit in our rooms and complain, taking all we have for granted, but remember it is the country you insult that allows you this freedom. Please continue to have your discussions, for it is important that we continually reevaluate our country’s standings. When doing so, however, do not forget all that our country already does offer.

So the next time you begin to rant, ask yourself: are your comments building or breaking down our country?

S. Kyle Pauly ([email protected]) is a pre-med sophomore majoring in biology.