HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!

In the past year, I've gone to two naturalization ceremonies for family members, and I can say that seeing a roomful of people from places like Afghanistan, Burundi, Canada, France, Guatemala, Honduras, Laos, Mexico, Niger, Russia, Sweden, Tanzania and Zaire take the oath of citizenship, all smiles and heartfelt congratulations, to hear from the representative of the Daughters of the American Revolution that, "You are every bit as much an American as I am," well, it's a very good reminder that, say what you will about its shortcomings, the American experiment is a wonderful thing.

Nothing is quite so powerful as the allure of Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.