This is My Country

Please raise your glasses with me, friends and associates. I'll try not to be superfluous with my words, but there are one or two things that need saying.

First of all, to those of you expecting a negative rant about the country I love, prepare to be disappointed. I've been an American since birth, which translates to "much longer than the time since most of you drew you first breath."

Second, I am aware that many among you are looking in from the outside. You are entitled to your opinions, which will be based on information garnered from one or more press platforms. I assure you, there's no reason to waste your time with most of them. Frankly, you should realize from the widely varied versions of “the truth”, alone, that you're swallowing nothing more than opinions, which may or may not have any relation to the facts.

To those among you who, like me, were born American, let me say that you also have a right to your opinions, and I fully support that.

Having said all of that, I will – you're welcome – get to the point.

America, herself, had a troubled beginning. Her people are used to controversy. Radical ideas? You betcha. Rigged elections? There have been far more than one. Failed leadership? I could go on all day. Remember, however, more often than no, the failure is on the part of Congress. Our President doesn't make the decisions.

That last statement is, no doubt, going to lead to comments about the one we call President today. He is, indeed, an inept, impotent megalomaniac. A child in a role he is completely unsuited for. Like it or not, everything about how he was elected is irrelevant. His actions, however, are not.

Fortunately, as Americans, we can affect change. That's not an option in many countries. No one is saying it will be easy. To begin the process, we must find common ground. That should be easy enough. How many of you would like to be involved in another World War? How many want to see an end to your right to who and what you want to be?

What? No hands raised? Then let's have a toast to MY America! She's been bruised before, but she lives on, in 349 million hearts.