People have asked me why I'm proud I'm an American. "America has done awful things around the world - Vietnam - training Noriega - training Castro - tons of bad things."

I think, if you read this article by a a British journalist over at the BBC, while it's full of generalizations and wide ranging comments, it sums up what I think about America and our people. And why I do, actually, believe in America. We may have missteps, we may have faults, we're human and succumb to human frailties.

But we're also giving, kind, and doing the best we can in most instances. When things are wrong, we try to fix them. When there are hungry or homeless, we try to feed them. When we send our men and women off to war, we try to support them with more than just jingoistic songs.

I'm proud to be an American, and embarassed that I've done so little Tzedakah as I have. And what I've done isn't insignificant, I just know I could do more.

BBC NEWS | Programmes | From Our Own Correspondent | Charity begins at home

Charity here is woven into the fabric of American life. In 2002, individual Americans gave $180bn away.

At my children's school, the three-year-olds were introduced to the American way just before Christmas. They spent a rather enjoyable day painting shoeboxes.