I know we Americans like to say that we don't have a class system in the US - but of course, we know that is not true. We speak very comfortably of upper class, middle class, lower class- although by that we are referring mainly to money or the lack of it.

(In addition to the above mentioned classes, we also have 'poor white trash', 'inner city gangs' and 'the very rich', in which class we tend to put 'celebrities' and 'sports heroes'.)

On the other hand, our class system is not cut in stone. It is entirely possible to go from one to another (and back again).

Some American ways of life are distilled in the city of Juneau, Alaska. We have less overt class bias than anyplace I've been, and the city has a tradition of inclusiveness.

Typifying this, in my opinion, is this story:

I was the docent caretaker of a house museum. One day a tourist came in and over a cup of tea he said, "I've got to tell someone this. As it happens I'm a lawyer and while I was romaing around today I went inside your District Court building.

"See this t-shirt? This surfing scene is of Hawaii in one of the spots that haven't been found yet, for the most part.

"Anyway, this guy in a suit and tie rushed up to me and said, "I've surfed there!"

"So we talked and finally he invited to come have a coffee with him so we could talk some more.

"And we introduced ourselves. It was Justice of the Alaska Supreme Court Carpeneti. He didn't know I'm a lawyer.

"That would not have happened at home."

So I would postulate that included in the "American Way of Life" is the ideal of individual worth.