In her blog, A Small Victory, Michele responded to the recent spate of opinion pieces from around the globe that fall under the heading of "What is There to Like About America?"

So what is there to like about America? I mean, besides the freedoms we have that most of these opinion writers and letter-to-the-editor professionals fail to mention.

And then came the challenge:

Why don't you help me out? What is so great about America, anyhow? What makes it such a wonderful place? What would you tell a foreigner about your home state? Pick a state, provide links. Leave it in the comments and I'll add your contribution to the list as I go along. And then I'm going to send it to every single foreign newspaper that had some idiotic article detailing how little there is to like about America.

I'm sorry, but at first, I ignored this as just a throwaway post - something to give her vast throng of fans something to do while she thought of something else to amuse us with. Plus, I was afraid it would turn into an "America - Love It or Leave It" post. Blech. I love America from the tip of its little nose to the top of its little toes, but I can't stand shouts of empty patriotism. I should have known better...

I watched as the comments came rolling in. They weren't like that at all.

They came with humor.
They came with neat links.
They came with insight.
For those that left home, they came with longing.
They came with pride.

They came with love.

So many comments and links and posts and stuff came in that I offered to help Michele organize them into a semi-coherent form. Thus, this blog. One post per state with comments open for you to add more info. I've moved all the original comments as of this writing into the blog post for the state mentioned.

I tried to fill in the gaps for those poor states that didn't get any lovin', but I know that there has to be other readers out there that could tell us more heartfelt stuff about their homes.

So, here it is for you. Keep it coming. Tell us more about your favorite state. You don't have to make it pretty. It hardly even has to make sense! Like this country, just put some heart into it and everything will be all right.

Alan: "This isn't about a specific state, but it's quite possibly what I like most about the whole damn place:

We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."

UPDATE: Poor Eve didn't find a place to put her most excellent comments about her home - Washington, D.C. (Did you know they have their own flag?)

So, I am adding posts for D.C. and for those who live in those remnants of colonial times: American Samoa, Guam, Northern Marianas, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.

And I'm all about international peace and harmony. If anyone wants to start up a "What's Not to Like About Canada, Eh?" blog, I'll be glad to help!

UPDATE 2: I did eventually have to shut off the comments (die, spammers, die!). However, if you still wish to add your two cents, just drop me an e-mail at solonor AT solonor DOT com.