‘America the Beautiful’ A Reason To Smile Dan Rather and Team Steady Apr 13 Credit: Getty Images No one would blame you for being down on America right about now. Things are feeling a bit bleak, but please remember, America is more, much more than one bad man and his enablers in Washington. It is the friendly smile from the man who poured your coffee. It is a wave from your next-door neighbor sitting on her porch. It is the sun rising over the craggy coast of Maine and setting on the red rocks of Colorado. At its best, America is resilient and industrious, driven and empowering. Those characteristics are still there, pushing us to fight when we need to fight. And we need to fight. The country has survived wars and depressions. And it will survive this, though maybe a little broken and a lot bruised. For this week’s reason to smile, we have chosen “America the Beautiful” to honor all that this country is. Ray Charles’ rendition of the ballad is iconic, and to celebrate the 50th anniversary of his recording, a new video was released that truly captures both the grandeur and the humility of America. Note: Some of you sharp-eyed, longtime Steady subscribers might remember we chose this song as our reason to smile after the 2022 midterm elections. The video is new, the song so good, and the need so dear, we felt a repeat was in order. If you are able to, please support my team, who make pieces like this possible. No matter how you subscribe, I thank you for reading, watching, and listening. Stay Steady, Dan