this 4th of July…
…is a particularly hard one to be thankful for a country that has given me everything since I arrived with my political refugee Filipino family at its shores almost half a century ago, in April of 1980.
Why? Because its dream of genuine democracy and human goodness and possibility has been fraying dreadfully at the edges for a while now; and even at its core there now exists a troubling uncertainty.
But on this day, I can be deeply grateful to a couple of true American patriots… my friends Richard and Charleen of Sunnyvale, CA — to me, they’ve always exemplified the humane and compassionate virtues of this country which, at the end of the day, remains so special and a beacon of hope to so many poor, tired, huddled masses on this singular blue planet.
This nation’s verities — never mind its many historical flaws — has made it what it is: one of the most consequential in all of human civilization.
And I still believe in it. And I have my American friends to thank for that.