May this fourth be peaceful, the beginning of a wave of peace across the world. May the threats against innocents around the globe evaporate harmlessly. May the places suffering drought have rain, and may the places battling floods have sunshine. May America find ways to share generously her great luck and wealth with the luckless of the world. May the desire for vengeance in the world come to nothing, may it be replaced by forgivenenss and compassion.

There's a lot about being American that I've always treasured and still do, in theory, but there are days when I think, next lifetime I'd like to be Dutch, or Danish, or Finnish, or even Icelandic. America has never had any gift for humility, and this administration is a great embarrassment to me on all fronts. Still, America represents hope of better prospects to millions of people, and it still does hold out the very real possibility of better life to (and becuase of) the millions who continue to make their way here year after year after year, no matter how much some people and nations rail about how awful this place is.