"Top 5 Americans"
Criteria: On the heels of the Discovery Channel announcing the 100 greatest americans and having far too many undeserving people listed, we wanted to make lists of the 5 greatest Americans ever based on their contribution to our way of life and their service to our country, which did not have to include military service. You can serve your country by contributing to it greatly (like the Wright Brothers and Bill Gates did).
Overview: Anyone was eligible, from athletes to entertainers and politicians, but they had to meet the above criteria. We agreed that this is not a list of influential Americans, that's for another time. Nor is this a list of Americans who are great, rather it is citizens from this country who were great for America.
Rob's Notes:The greatest Americans are the ones who do, lead or create things that never would have been done or created otherwise, and which clearly better our nation and the world. It's hard to argue against many of the founding fathers, but is also important to consider great Americans who took what the fathers left us and made it better. Arnie is outlandish to not have the man who was most responsible for creating this country, George Washington, anywhere on his list.
Arnie's Notes: So, Rob is mad because I didn't put the "father" of our country George Washington on my list. He did do a lot of great things for this country, but he had a lot of people helping. The people on my list did it their way. Lincoln held the country together during the only war America lost. MLK brought civil rights to all people, Reagan ended communism, Truman ended a war he didn't want any part of. Elvis made the entertainment world what it is today and would never be that way without him. For yet another week Rob's list sucks.
