On this day, I’m reminded of the title of Sam the Eagle’s portion of Muppet-Vision 3D: “A Salute To All Nations, But Mostly America.”
I’m thankful for this country. It has its flaws (or, more precisely, we Americans have our flaws), but there is no place I would rather live. I am grateful for those who have sacrificed to build it over the last 229 years: not just for those who fought in our wars, but also for those who built something for future generations. I appreciate the fact that I can worship how I please, without fear of government interference or persecution, and that all citizens are guaranteed a basic set of rights that are still the envy of the rest of the world.
Are there some areas that need fixin’? Yes (starting with: Mr. President, don’t you dare try to appoint Torture Boy Gonzalez to the Supreme Court!). Nonetheless, I still love this country and what it stands for. Happy Fourth of July!
Update: two bonus links: the 4th of July is the deadliest traffic day of the year, and how to snip a 5-pointed star with only a single cut.
Paul's Down-Home Page 
“Toll of crash deaths doesn’t resonate: “An average of 117 deaths per day is the equivalent of a major commercial airline disaster occurring every day of the 6,209 consecutive days of the 17-year span we analyzed,” ”
Holy cow! 42,705 people die a year in traffic crashes? That’s like 14 September 11’s a year.
That’s one of the big deals about MADD: there used to be ~ 35K deaths annually *just from drunk driving*. Since the early 80s, that figure has dropped by more than half.