The Little Things Americans Take For Granted

America isn’t perfect. The entire country needs a serious makeover and attitude adjustment. We have it better in the country than people in some places, despite the flaws. People in some countries cannot enjoy freedom of speech. Women do not enjoy equal rights. Basic humanneeds like water and electricity are not always available. Simple acts can land someone in jail.  We take so much for granted here in America. We’ve come to expect extras like electricity and Internet service. Far too often, we forget that people in some countries could only dream of the same luxuries.

Things we take for granted in America:

2²: Pay to Pee & Poop

Americans know a bathroom is one stop away when they're out and about. Most parks, restaurants, theaters, and other facilities offer free bathrooms for customers. This is not always the case in countries abroad.

Countries like Japan, Switzerland, France, and Romania may impose fees for public restroom access. The fee is small, averaging €0.50–€2 (roughly about $0.50–$2 USD), depending on the location and country.

If you need to empty your bladder in public, expect to pay to "go."

Recording in Public

U.S. law provides broad freedom to record in public, with limited expectations of privacy. That isn’t the case in many areas of the world.

Millions of people live under tight government watch.

Recording in public is not always wise or legal in some countries, like China, Germany, and Thailand. It can lead to fines, jail time, or worse. Posting photos of faces can also lead to trouble in countries like France.

Access to Safe Water

Water was not potable in Flint, Michigan, for several years. Although officials say the problem is a thing of the past, residents still don’t trust the tap water. Who can blame them? While I’m not minimizing the risks and hardship endured in Flint, they did have access to bottled water. They could drive outside the city for water.

People in countries like Haiti, Burundi, and Ethiopia may not always be as lucky.

Without access to potable water, some are forced to drink from untreated rivers and collect rainwater. The water is used for bathing, drinking, cooking, and cleaning, despite the risks.

These water sources carry parasites and bacteria that cause diarrhea, cholera, and other illnesses.

Electricity

Imagine sitting in your home, and without warning, the electricity goes out. For hours at a time. Every single day. You cannot report an outage to the electric company. This is a reality for some people living in India, Haiti, Nigeria, and other countries.

Due to unreliable and limited electricity, residents often experience long periods with no power.

Reliable Wi-Fi

$50 a month, and Americans have access to reliable, fast Wi-Fi 24/7. We’re lucky. The Internet is unreliable, slow, and limited in many countries, including India and parts of Africa. Unlimited Wi-Fi is rare, and data plans are expensive.

Additionally, some websites are inaccessible in countries like North Korea, China, and Iran. Sites like Facebook, YouTube, and even news outlets are inaccessible without a VPN. Accessing the 'net using a VPN is legally risky in some areas.

The Right to Complain

In the U.S.,  we enjoy posting videos, memes, and comments about Donald Trump and his clan of followers. We don’t hesitate to post 1-star reviews; we’d “rate zero stars if we could.” We have freedom of expression, even when it's negative, in the U.S. In some countries, defamation laws, cybercrime laws, or national security laws are used to penalize criticism.

Countries like Saudi Arabia, Thailand, China, Vietnam, and Russia impose serious penalties, including fines and imprisonment.

Americans Take So Much For Granted

The United States of America is a country of privilege, although its history is filled with hate. Atrocities like the displacement of Indigenous people, slavery, and Jim Crow laws, systemic racism, hate towards  immigrants and the LGBTQ+ community, and destruction of programs designed to help the less fortunate all prove the country is not the “Land of the brave, home of the free.”

Yet, America has freedom and liberties unheard of elsewhere in the world. We can speak our minds. We can use electricity 24/7 as we drink our choice of filtered tap or bottled water. We can find free restrooms in public spaces. We should criticize America. It has far too many problems. But don’t forget the rights we have and take for granted.