Happy Independence Day 2016

When I was a teenager during Vietnam, I used to think people that had “America: Love It or Leave It” bumper stickers were crazy.

May I apologize to them publicly? What I have learned to do, as most Europeans know, is how to disentangle the American people and country from the American government.

One can love the former and despise the latter and still be a valuable and grateful patriot.

The freedoms we have to do and say and pray and be what we wish are virtually priceless. And though these rights and privileges are no longer ideally available in America (due to said government), they are still pretty darn near perfect.

Happy 240th birthday!