JULY 4TH

This is my first July 4th as an American.
I have had the usual firework, music and backyard grill. The Constitution is still going strong after 232 years. in spite of the Patriot Act, TIA, Guantanamo, and other frontal attacks it has righted itself . A survey tells us that over 90% of the population feels patriotic. Patriotism, according to Dr. Johnson, is the last refuge of the scoundrel. One thing is to be proud of one's country and quite another to be for "my country right or wrong". As a recent citizen and as a world traveler, I think that, if the USA are a great country, many people around the world think the same about their own country. The worst side of patriotism is the blind acquiescence of the worst excesses in the name of love of country. On the contrary, the true patriot never hesitates to criticize his government whenever it errs, or worse, violates its own Constitution.