I've Fallen in Love...

To everybody,

You may have noticed (maybe not) me acting different lately. You may have noticed a certain giddyness in my demeanor, a light quality. Well, I can't keep it secret anymore. I've fallen in love.

Now, the young woman I'm speaking of is far from perfect. In fact, I've come to realize she has many flaws, and has made some real mistakes in the past. But over the years, I've also come to realize that she can do lots of good. So I decided that in spite of all her flaws, I love her still.

Who is this woman, you might ask. Well, I debated whether or not to reveal this, but I think it will be okay if I do. So here goes. Her name is America.Yes, I love my country. After years of soul searching, after all the oppression of the past, I've discovered after all of that, I love my country anyway.

Why? I mean, it is corrupt and all. Well, there is corruption and in recent years, it has gotten out of hand. Because of a recent turn of leadership, though, I am confident that this will change. And in many other countries, corruption is far worse than it is here. You could be a lot worse off. Thankfully, the laws of the country are set up to guard against abuses of power and preserve the well-being of the many.

This is, of course, an ongoing project. There have been mishaps along the way. But some imperfections and mistakes are no reason to abandon the dream. If anything, it's all the more reason to intensify the search. Way back when, my father's father's, well, several fathers back, fought in the Revolutionary War. That's one reason. I aim to do what I can to keep his dream intact and keep it going.

I have been tempted by the machinations of the right to believe all the criticisms of the left. While they work out of a concern for people, the mistake they make is that they assume everything and everyone is fixed, that things cannot improve. Thus they are capable of becoming as cynical as their right-wing counterparts.

I've learned that in spite of all the history of bad behavior, a bedrock of decency and compassion is emerging beneath all the madness. I hate to be cliche, but I know in my heart that Americans are as capable as anyone of being a part of this movement.

America, as you know, has some tough times in store for her. So I will stand by her and give her the same kind of help and support that you would give someone you love. When you love someone, you realize they have faults, but you love them anyway. That's how I feel.

This is the Daily Reeder, Over&out.