There are two sorts of patriots. One sorts loooks around the world and looks for the places where they do things worse and says "We're not doing as badly as those people. We're OK."

The other sorts looks around and looks for the places where they do things better, and says "We're not doing as well as those people. We're not as OK as we thought we were."

And perhaps a third sort, McGrath. The sort who says "my country is not a police state. It is also not a paradise. Neither is it a shining example of purity before the world. It was, however, founded on solid principles of freedom and fairness, and our greatest efforts should be devoted to striving for those principles."

Thanks for telling us about your husband Sorcha. His is the kind of story that should put it all in perspective.