Truly the land of opportunity

Sometimes the best way to appreciate our nation's birthday is through the eyes of someone who is new to the party.

Right now Mohammed, a friend of mine from a small East African nation, is packing his bags to come to the United States for the first time. He's preparing to see for himself what all the fuss is about.

Mohammed has been given a full scholarship to study at St. Louis University in a graduate law program. Classes start at the end of August, and he seems to be excited and scared, but driven to succeed.

Coming from where he does, this is a big deal.

Mohammed comes from a family of 11 children who, along with their parents, share a three-room apartment overlooking the dusty roads of the capital city. They've never had much money and growing up he learned quickly that everything must be shared. Food, clothes, opportunities, even his bed, which at the age of 25, he still divides with his brother for lack of space.

Yet somehow the household remains a happy one. Smiles and laughter are exchanged freely and meals in the home are some of the most joyful I've ever seen.

Mohammed makes jokes about needing name tags to identify all of his siblings, but it's clear he treasures his family above everything else on earth.

And now he's leaving, carrying with him the hopes and dreams of countless others.

The law degree Mohammed will pursue is the key to his lifelong ambition of being a lawyer in his homeland. To be successful at home, he must first succeed in the classrooms here.

You see, even though Mohammed was blessed to be born into a loving family, opportunities to pursue a career are at a premium in his country.

In his homeland, the rights of the individual are simply not protected.

All young men are subjected to mandatory military service that can last for 5, 10, or even 15 years. Higher education is illusory with the nation's only university closed by decree of the president. And with almost everyone fit to work, most do so for the government at low wages and with low prospect of advancement.

It's not a pretty picture. Millions of young people in this country have watched their aspirations squashed by a regime more interested in military strength than human capital.

So I thought of Mohammed and the predicament of all those like him this Fourth of July.

I thought of Thomas Jefferson's famous document, written in 1776, that promises the unalienable rights of "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness," to all Americans.

As many are aware, Jefferson didn't coin this phrase. It was originally written by economist Adam Smith who wrote of a similar, but not equivalent "life, liberty and property."

Somehow Jefferson's version seems more apt; somehow more American.

Because the reason Mohammed and those like him from all corners of the globe still come here to live, study and thrive is not property or even wealth; it's happiness. They long for the freedom to stretch out, flex their muscles and take aim at their dreams. I have little doubt Mohammed will succeed. I just hope the United States will always be a place that makes these pursuits possible.

TJ Greaney is a staff writer for the Southeast Missourian.